Secrets Unkept
by Fanged
Summary: Maximum Ride is new to school. She meets Nudge, Ella, Iggy, and Gazzy, and Fang, the instantly become friends. But, when Max and Fang look like they might really get together, Max has to spill her secret: she's being abused. T for violence and language
1. New Girl

**Alright, guys. So this is my second Maximum Ride fanfic, but if I were you, I wouldn't try my other one! I wrote that a while ago...anyways, peeps, if you're reading this...thanks!**

**Um...here we go!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Maximum Ride, then there wouldn't be any of you out here. All rights go to James Patterson, the man who brought you the best story in the world!**

**Yeah...**

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"Maximum Ride! Get up, now!" Echoed an ugly, hoarse voice, interrupting my sweet dreams.

Lara.

"Maximum Ride!" Her shouts grew louder and louder as she rushed to my room. All of a sudden, there she was, holding a spatula. Her hair was still in curlers, her mascara and eyeliner smudged from sleep. She had a burning cigarette in her mouth and her eyes were trained on me like red-hot coals, branding deep into my brain, telling me she meant business.

She came straight at me, waving her spatula like a madwoman. She tried to swat me with it, but I had been ready for this. I was quick, she was not, I was skinny, she was not. I could make it.

I was out of my room and down the stairs, speedy like a rabbit. I headed for the front door, all the while trying to get more room in between me and Lara. The farther I was from her, the longer I had to open the door and find sanctuary. I streaked across the living room, almost running over her very fat cat, Big Mac. Yeah, that's what she named him. A fattening type of food for a fat-enough old woman. Just what the hag needed.

"Maximum Ride, come back here! When I catch you, so help me!" She called as she practically tumbled down the steep steps. But it was too late for her. I had made it. Thank God.

Reaching out to feel the cool metal of the knob, I caught one last glance behind me and yanked. And yanked again. I watched the witch's face turn from lethal anger to cruel joy. Her smile was wide enough to show her cigarette stained teeth. Her nose wrinkled and she snarled as if she were a wolf just catching up to its prey. I was her prey.

I fumbled with the lock, my clumsy hands shaking too much to do any good, still desperately trying to save myself. But it was of no use. She advanced slowly, knowing she had me. I turned my back to the door, covered my face with my hands, and braced myself for the worse. She made her way to me and raised the wooded kitchen utensil. My muscles tensed as I let out a horrendous scream. And then it all went black.

**XXXxxxXXX**

"Wake up, Maximum!" Lara barked pouring ice water over my head. I sputtered as I came to.

"Time for school. If you don't go, they might suspect something. Get ready. And if anyone sees your scars, you're in for it," Lara sneered, turning on the T.V. and sitting down heavily on the couch. The furniture gave a low groan, grunting its disapproval.

I got up slowly, feeling the burning pain in my stomach, upper legs, and back. Lara was always careful to keep the bruises and scars out of sight, unless there was a large amount of time for me to heal. If her secret was ever let out, she'd be arrested.

My stepmother glared at me as I slowly made my way up the winding stairs. I rubbed my butt, feeling sorer than hell, and hopped my way up to my room.

After getting dressed and sorting through my backpack, I put my make-up on, trying to cover the black bags under my eyes with some concealer. I tried to practice smiling in front of my mirror. A new school, a new shot at friends. I had to look cool, or normal at the very least. I needed some social status here. What else did I have to live for? Once I thought I had gotten the hang of it, I walked to the front yard to wait for the bus.

**XXXxxxXXX**

"Miss Ride? Are you paying attention?" Mr. Patina asked as I slowly drifted back to reality.

"Yes, Mr. P." I said, trying to cover for my obliviousness. I tried to read the board to see what the history lecture had been about, but Mr. Patina followed my gaze and stepped in front of the writing.

"What was the question I asked Mr. Martinez?" He inquired sternly. While I tried to search my mind for any snippet of remembrance, he tapped his foot.

"Um, if he needed to…use the restroom?" I guessed, giving up. The class as a whole started chortling, and Mr. P. sighed.

"I had asked him to classify governments according to limited and unlimited forms and rule by one, few, or many. Pay attention, Miss Ride." He said. Even though Mr. P. was already pissed with me, I could tell he was a really good teacher and a really nice guy.

When class was over, I started packing up, putting my things into my backpack. I was almost out the door, when Mr. P. called me over.

"Maximum…this is not acceptable. You need to pay attention, or you're never going to pass! I know you're new, but the evaluation from your last school…your grades are already so low. I may have to move you to an alternative class. This daydreaming business is killing your grades. I'll have to pay your parents a visit. Maybe I could stop by after school tomorrow…?"

"No!" I said, a little too quickly, startling him. "No," I repeated. "I'll pay attention. I promise." I swore solemnly. He knit his eyebrows together, looking younger, like a little boy. His chocolate eyes locked on mine, focused on finding out what secrets lay hidden in my mind.

"Alright then. I expect better from you, Miss Ride. I'll see you tomorrow." He said, dismissing me. I nodded and shuffled out of the room.

"Hi!" A high-pitched bubbly voice rose over the low buzz of the crowded hallway. I didn't turn, knowing that she couldn't be talking to me. I was new. No one wanted to hang with the new kid.

"Hello!" The voice said again. I turned around, finding a small, super-model looking figure trying to push through the crowd, coming in my direction. She was wearing a purple tank top and purple skinny jeans. Her black flats scuttled towards me.

"Yes, you! Oh, hi!" She called, her eyes sought mine out as she caught up, stopping right in front of me. She shook my hand excitedly. "My name is Monique, but you can call me Nudge. What's your name?" She asked, looking deep into my eyes. Her pretty white teeth were showing in a big, huge, real smile. Her deep chocolate skin glinted in the fluorescent light, which should've made her look even worse, but apparently, she could work it.

"I'm Max." I mumbled. Her smile grew wider.

"Hi Max! It's so freaking nice to finally meet you! Me and Ella" my scowl deepened. Ella and _I_. "have been waiting for you. We heard rumors about a new girl, and I just had to say hi!" She laughed, then continued, not stopping for air. "Yeah, Ella couldn't wait! Neither could I, but I mean, Ella has been waiting for another girlfriend for forever! And we need another member of the group! I mean, there's me, Ella," she began to count on her fingers, "Iggy, Gazzy, and Fang. Five is such an odd number, don't you think? But now, we're even, huh?" She asked, finally stopping long enough for me to take it all in.

"Um…yeah?" I asked, hoping that would satisfy this pretty - and most likely popular - girl. Her grin was still brilliant, but she took it down a notch. For the first time, I noticed that this girl was being totally and one-hundred-percent unbiased by my looks and clothes. She was truthful about wanting to be my friend. And her Ella might like me for me too. I guess we'll have to see.

"You know, you're really pretty." She said, with absolutely no warning. I furrowed my eyebrows and gave her a confused look.

"T-thanks?" I stammered, taken aback by her sudden kind words. She smiled genuinely, and turned.

"Nudge!" Another female voice called. I turned my attention to a girl in a pink, pink, pink tank top and blue skinny jeans. Her long, long black hair was waving out in back of her like a sail. She had a huge beam on her face, which grew even bigger when she saw me.

"Hi! Oh, I'm Ella!" She said, throwing herself against my side in a hug. I almost yelped from the already forming bruises on my stomach, but I just bit my lip. If any other person had touched me in any other way, I would've slapped them silly. But the girl was…I don't know, but I couldn't do anything but just stare down at her.

"You're a very…bold girl, aren't you?" I asked. She dropped me and nodded.

"Sorry, just very, very excited. I'm so happy to meet you, finally! I've been waiting and waiting for forever!" She squealed.

"I'm Max. Hi." I said.

"Max…" she said, throwing it around in her head, trying it out. "Cute!" She decided, smiling dazzlingly. I was dumbstruck. These two girls had just met me, yet they seemed to accept me almost instantly. Huh. I didn't know humans were so capable of "love".

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**Hope you all liked it! If you did, tell me in a review! The button is right there. Push it...you know you want to! Anyway, I had fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it!**

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**[Edit: This chapter is now considered revised. If you see any mistakes or a break in the flow of the story, then please tell me, and I'll try my best to fix it immediately. Thanks!]**


	2. A Real Family

**Hey, guys! I got 9 reviews, so here's the next chapter! Thanks bunches for reading, now you all get cookies! Well, you would if I could magically make them appear...**

**Anyway, here it is! Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 2:

As it turned out, Nudge and Ella and I all had English second period together. After class, they walked me to P. E. and then left for biology. I dressed out and entered the gym.

The playing space was huge. It must've taken up half the school! I bit my lip, looking around anxiously.

The coach blew his whistle and we started jogging. Soon, we did stretches, then he gave us two basketballs and told us to pair up into teams of five, girls on one said, guys on the other. The first team to get a basket won.

I got paired with a bunch of slutty looking girls who kept talking about manicures and pedicures and a guy named Nick. I shook my head, wishing I had been paired with a guy team.

"Hey, Pinkies!" Coach snapped, looking annoyed. The hussies immediately looked up, and whined.

"But coach! Do we have to play?" Cried the girl that seemed to be their leader. Her long red hair was blinding, and her green eyes spun around, sizing up the first boy she saw like he was a box of expensive chocolates for sale.

"Yes, Lissa, now get your little posse out onto the floor!" He shouted in a funny New Jersey accent. The girl, Lissa, sighed, and led her group onto the court. I followed, taking position. Lissa and her opponent did jump ball. The other girl got it, and passed to the blonde on her left. Blondie number one easily got through the not-really-defenses.

"Hey, Lissa!" I called, keeping my eyes on Blondie. "Get your troop together and get over here!" I lunge forward, grabbing the ball, and immediately starting towards the other basket. Blondie was too shocked to move.

"Wow, new girl's good!" I heard people from the sidelines murmur. I smiled to myself as I shot down the court, bursting right past the two girls guarding me.

"Good luck, sweet cheeks." I told the last girl on the court. But then I really looked. This girl was huge! She was at least 6'2", had bulging muscles, and hair peeking out wherever there wasn't clothing. Ew.

She smirked and my eyes widened. I faked left, faked right, then shot for the basket. She was as surprised as I was by my quick thinking and even quicker acting. The ball flew through the air. And out of pure luck, or maybe even a twinge of skill, it rounded the rim, and fell into the basket.

**XXXxxxXXX**

I dressed back into my hoodie and jeans, grabbed my pack, and got the hell out of the locker room. I made my way to where all the other kids were heading. The lunch hall.

"Yeah, another day sitting alone." I told myself. I knew that Nudge and Ella liked me, but I couldn't just invite myself to their table. That's their decision, and if they wanted me to sit with them, they would have told me so.

I entered the cafeteria, looking around. It was gigantic! Almost as big as the gym. So, like said, _big_.

I followed the others into a line. Which was, again, pretty huge. This school must've housed, like, a bazillion students or something. I stumbled into a line and moved along with it, waiting for my turn. I kept my eyes down, not wanting anyone to talk to me. Especially not anyone from my classes this morning. I didn't want any more awkward introductions.

When I was through the line, I went to find an empty table, which surprisingly, were conveniently placed throughout the cafeteria. More tables than students, I assume. Good to know.

**XXXxxxXXX**

Sitting down with my lunch I started picking at whatever was on my tray. Nothing looked even remotely yummy, and my normally large appetite was acting up. Not hungry. So, I just sat there, people watching. I looked for some cliques, like the cheerleaders, the nerds, the jocks, and the Goths. I found all of those and more. There was the preps, the drama-kids, the normals, the emos, the Asians, the short kids, the weird groups, the loud ones, and then the loners like me, who each took a spot at an empty table.

I was busy trying to guess who was the captain of the cheerleading squad, so I didn't notice their presence. I didn't feel their eyes on me. And I didn't see them walk over.

"Hey, honey. What's a hot chick like you doin' all by yourself?" A male voice called from behind me. I didn't turn, but instead glared at my food. If these guys were going to mess with me, there was going to be trouble.

"Yeah, sweet thang. You want some company?" Another one purred in my ear. I gritted my teeth as the two boys took the seats next to me.

"Get lost." I snarled at them, still not looking up. They just laughed like the drunk monkeys they are.

"Did you hear that, Dwayne? She said get lost. Better listen, before she gets mad!" The first voice said, teasing me.

"Yeah, I sure did hear that, Josh. Maybe we should follow orders…" The second one said, snickering.

"Listen, here, girly," The first voice, Josh, said, sounding more serious than before. "We call the shots here. You want us gone? Well, you gotta give us what we want first. And if we don't like you…then we'll leave you alone."

"Let me touch your hair." The second voice, Dwayne, said. Before I could punch him, he got a handful, and pulled my face around to meet his. His face went from grossly seductive to shocked. He was black and just a bit taller than me, but I knew his fighting skills probably didn't compare to mine. His hand was rough in my hair, but the instant he caught a look at my face, his grip slackened.

"Whoa, Josh, dude! Look at her! She's actually hot!" He said. Josh immediately grabbed my chin and yanked my head around to him. His face was skeptical, but the moment he really looked, he too was surprised. I tugged my face out of his hand. Before I could pull back into a fist, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I yelped and froze.

"Don't touch her." Said yet another deep voice. Dwayne and Josh looked up, only to start laughing.

"Ha ha! You heard the man! Don't touch her!" Josh mocked. "Or else what, big guy? What are you going to do? Beat me up?"

Before Dwayne could add on to Josh's question, there was a sickening thud, and the sound of something breaking. Then, I saw the blood pour onto my tray.

"Ew!" I said, hopping up. I tried to wipe the smears off me, but they just stained into my jeans and my sweat jacket.

There was silence, and then a threatening rumble came from Josh. "Dude, you just punched me." He said, standing up slowly. By now, everyone was watching. The man who had attacked him just smirked.

"Yeah, I suppose I did. Want another one?" He taunted. I was taken aback. This dude was in for a serious beating.

"Oh, that's it!" Josh said, getting up and into fighting stance. Dwayne instantly followed. The two lunged forward, but the boy just sidestepped, and the twosome slammed into each other, resulting in another splash of blood coming from Josh's nose. The emo looking kid nodded at me, took my shoulder, and steered me away from the scene. Everyone else just stared on in silence.

I let him sit me down at a table a little ways away, let him get me some napkins, and let him get me another tray of food. Then, the questions came.

"What the hell, dude?" I whisper-shouted at him. We didn't need any more attention. He only looked up from his food to give me a quizzical glance.

"I could say the same thing," he told me. My eyes widened, and then quickly narrowed again.

"Don't test me. I'm stronger than you think. I could've taken those punks myself. I have to earn my own reputation, and now, look! I'll be forever known as the wussy-ass new girl. And I don't like that title." I said. He shrugged.

"Didn't look like you could take them on. You let them push you around, and I decided it was time to step in."

I laughed. "That's funny, but no, I can take care of myself. I had the situation under control. Next time, don't." I said, picking up my tray and starting to leave. His hand shot out, caught mine, and like he was catching himself, quickly went back to its former position. It looked like he was embarrassed, even if there wasn't blush or anything.

"No, sit." He said. I looked around, and by now, everyone had gone back to chatting happily and eating their food. The two that harassed me were nowhere to be seen.

"What?" I sighed, sitting back down.

"I want to talk to you." He said, looking me in the eyes. His pupils were not seen, his eyes were so dark. His expression looked…pleading? His shaggy bangs flapped down over his face, covering his forehead. He was not smiling, but I could grasp an unseen joy somewhere in his face.

"Okay," I said, unable to tell Emo Boy no. "Shoot."

"I-I'm not good with words. But..."

"Yes?"

"Hey, Fang! And...Max? Is that you?" A shrill, familiar voice said behind me. My face must've darkened, because "Fang's" smile raged. For a second, anyway.

"That's your name?" I inquired. What kind of a name was "Fang", anyway? Ella scooted in beside me, Nudge on Fang's side. Two other boys followed, the taller strawberry blonde next to Nudge, and the other, smaller boy next to Ella.

"Yeah, that's Fang. I'm Gazzy, and he's Iggy." The cute one next to Ella had barely gotten the words out of his mouth before a forkful of food was shoved halfway down his throat.

"And what's your name?" The other one asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I scoffed and looked away from the disgustingly gorgeous table. Seriously, all of them were hot, cute, or just plain perfect, but it seemed everyone at this school was.

"Yeah, mystery girl. I've been talking to her for a while now, and I don't even know her name." Fang admitted, his eyes flashing mischievously. I smiled, and looked back around the table.

"I'm Max. It's nice to meet everyone. Except for you." I said, narrowing my eyes at the strawberry blonde, Iggy.

"Hey, dude, I'm just saying, I'm available!" He said. "Ouch!" He protested after a slap from Ella.

After a bit of chuckling from the group, we all began to feast upon the repulsive delicacies of the school lunches. They chattered with each other, a playful mood settling over the table. Nudge leaned over and prodded my elbow. "So how's your day been going, Maxxie?"

Emo Boy, who'd been quiet for nearly the whole lunch period now, spoke up. "She's had a bit of a rough first day."

"What?" Nudge and Ella both cried at the same time.

"Well, I had a little trouble at the beginning of lunch, but it's over now. You guys are all really cool, and Fang taught those kids a lesson." I said, hoping I would get out of a whole big conversation. But of course, I didn't.

"What happened?" Nudge asked immediately. She leaned closer to me, her wide eyes searching my own.

"Nothing. Just these two guys came up and decided they wanted to get their asses kicked. That's all." I told them, shrugging.

"Well," Ella says quietly. "Okay…so tell me what you and Fang talked about." Ella said, smiling, and starting on her food again.

"Well, he got me a new tray, and then I asked him a few questions, never exactly getting around to asking his name." I admitted, feeling a little silly. They all nodded, and Nudge instantly launched into a long story about how she had to go a whole date without the guy's name, so it was really awkward. Everyone laughed, including me, and we all seemed like…what one might consider a family, just for a second. It was really, really nice. Something I would like myself to be a part of one day. A real family.

**Alright, guys, here you go! Now, I know you all are Superman reviewers, so, I need to up the review count. I know, I don't deserve it, but I need it! It's a LOT more, but this is what I ask of you, faithful readers. I'm upping it to...wait for it...wait for it...6 reviews! I know, a whole lot, right? But you guys can do it! My fate is in your hands!**

**[This chapter is considered edited. If you see mistakes, please let me know. Thanks, guys~~~!]**


	3. Escape into my thoughts

**Hi, guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Been pretty busy. My cousins came in from Pennsylvania, and we had to keep them occupied for a few days. But here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. thanks for all the super sweet reviews.**

**I love ya bunches!**

I silently crept into my house, making sure to open and close the door slowly. I tip-toed through the living room, and was halfway up the stairs before Big Mac came around the corner from the kitchen and started mewing at me.

"What is it, sweetie?" Lara cooed, following him around the corner with a bag of popcorn and a diet coke in her hands. She froze when she saw me. Her eyes narrowed, and when she started speaking, I winced.

"Why are you covered in blood?" She asked, looking me up and down. I saw a flicker of fear flash through her eyes in that second. "That's not from this morning, is it? Did anyone ask?" She questioned, her voice almost starting to quaver.

"No, I got into a fight at lunch today." I told her, still not moving.

"O-oh, thank God!" She exclaimed, putting her right hand over her heart and breathing heavily. I rolled my eyes as she sat in her chair dramatically, throwing her arm over her forehead, like she was feeling feint. Puh-lease.

After a moment, she snapped her head up to send me a glare. "Why are you still here?" She asked, looking at me. "Go do your homework. I don't want to talk to any angry teachers."

"Yes, ma'am." I said, making my hasty escape.

**XXXxxxXXX**

After I was done with my homework, I hopped on the computer to check my email. I deleted the junk mail, then went back to the inbox, to see I had gotten an email from a "Monique Jackson."

_Hi, it's Nudge_, it read. _I'm so super happy that you're finally here, and I just wanted to let you know, we've all been thinking about you and talking about you. We all like you, a lot! Iggy thinks you're hot, even though Ella is basically his girlfriend. And Gazzy and I are going out. Fang's the only single one_._ But listen. Fang told me about those boys today at lunch. They are really dangerous Max, and we decided that we're gonna keep a very, very close eye on you, at least for a while. They're bad news, and Fang didn't scare 'em off, he just made 'em mad. So don't freak out if we seem a little clingy, or if we do something unexpected. All for your safety, girl. On a happier note, I checked your schedule, and we have two classes together tomorrow! And then, you have one with Iggy and Gazzy, and one with Fang. So we'll meet for lunch back at the table we sat at today, okay? Email me if you got any more questions! See you tomorrow!_

I reread the message, and just sat there, trying to sort through the day. Except for the encounter at lunch, my day had been pretty uneventful.

_They are really dangerous_.

What could that mean? They were only two high school boys. Right? They didn't seem that dangerous when Fang whooped their asses. But were they worse than they seemed?

**XXXxxxXXX **

"Hi Max." Iggy said, scaring the shit out of me. I lost hold of my binder, but a hand shot out, grabbing it.

"Here you go." Fang whispered. I whipped my head around to find him smirking at me, holding my folder out to me, Gazzy and Iggy flanking him.

"When did you guys get here? You gotta make some noise when you move, man!" I said. Fang just chuckled lightly.

"You ready for first period?" Gazzy asked, smiling sweetly.

"Yeah, let's go." Starting to walk in the direction of my first period class. I stopped short when I saw the glaring eyes of a familiar face. But before I could do anything brash, like give him the finger, Fang pulled me back and stepped in front of me, making it obvious to Josh and everyone else in the hallway that I was being watched. Yikes.

"C'mon. Stay by me." Fang told me, taking my hand and leading me to Mr. Patina's door. Josh snarled as we walked past, but didn't make any move toward us. Even after I was in my seat, my heart fluttered hard from my almost-encounter. Fang sat next to me.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to be late?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow as the bell rang.

"This is my first period." He explained. I thought back to my first hour in this school. Mr. Patina asking me the question, a Mr. Martinez answering…

"That was you!" I practically shouted. He nodded, looking amused. "Okay. Good. So now I have a body guard…that's just _great_."

"Yup, I am great, huh?" He said, leaning back in his seat and smirking. I glared, but his expression didn't change. I rolled my eyes and looked up to Mr. Patina taking roll.

"Nicholas Martinez." He said. Fang raised his hand. Wait, Nicholas? That was his real name?

"Maximum Ride."

"Here." I muttered. He checked me off, and I looked back to Emo boy.

"Why do they call you 'Fang?'" I asked, truly curious. He just shrugged and picked up his pencil.

**XXXxxxXXX**

The rest of the day passed by uneventful. I thought mostly about Fang, trying to figure the guy out. He was really nice, but he never talked. He was protective of his friends, but he let them make their own decisions and everything. He seemed to accept me right away, but still kept his distance. Why was this?

As I walked home, I thought more about the group. They all had their ups and their downs. Iggy was funny, and he and Ella seemed very close, although he could be totally obnoxious. Gazzy was sweet and cute, but boy he got smelly! Nudge was so lovely; she and Ella were already like sisters to me. But once you started a conversation with that girl, there was no out. Ella was bold and outright. She spoke her mind and didn't care what anyone thought of her, which made her all the more likable. But she was temperamental.

And Fang. Fang, Fang, Fang. I just couldn't get him out of my head.

The little voice in my head that Pinocchio would've called "Jiminy Cricket" chimed in with _"maybe it's 'cause you like him."_ I snort.

_Like? Psh, yeah right! I don't like Fang. I hardly even know him!_ I kept walking, but now it was slowing.

_You can't deny the butterflies in your stomach that come out every time he speaks to you._

_Please, just go away._ I told myself. My voice didn't come back, so I was free to walk and think quietly by myself.

**Sorry it's kind of short, but that is where I had to stop. It just felt right to me. I'm trying to take it slow between Max and Fang, although, I promise you, there will be FAX, and lots of it. I'm as anxious as you are! Also, at last count, I had 23 reviews. Is there any way possible we could up that to…33? I know you all are more than capable, my Superman reviewers! Please?**

**[This chapter is not revised! Thanks for hanging in there with me!]**


	4. Help Me!

The next week just flew by. Fang, Iggy and Gazzy were always by my side, Nudge and Ella with us. They would constantly be on the lookout for Josh and Dwayne.

Josh and Dwayne were always around, too, glaring and pacing. When I came out of the bathroom, they were there, waiting. Luckily so was one of the guys, keeping an eye on me. It made me feel weak, but every time I tried to complain, they would just cut me off.

The only class I had to myself was gym, but Fang's class was right down the hall from it.

Lissa, the redhead, was a total bitch. She hit on Fang whenever he was in 20 feet. Tramp. He just did his best to ignore her. But sometimes I caught him eyeing her with something that looked oddly like desire. Could it be possible that he liked her back? No. Why, then, would he always scoff and shake his head when he left?

Nudge and Ella were just as talkative, never stopping for breath, Fang was just as quiet, and Iggy was just as obnoxious. Also, during the week, I learned why the called him the "Gasman."

"Jeezum, Gazzy, what have you been eating?" I gagged after his latest gas bomb. He just shrugged and blushed a little. While Nudge and Ella laughed whole-heartedly, Iggy put his hands to his throat dramatically. Fang had a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"So, Max, do you want to come to the movies with us tomorrow? We're going to see Eclipse. I'm so totally on Team Jacob. I mean, there is something _seriously_ hot about a werewolf!" She paused to suck in some air, so I seized the opportunity to reply.

"Tomorrow is Saturday, right? Yeah, sure. I'll come." I told her. She smiled.

"I'm on Team Volturi. They are awesome! And that Jane looks hot." Iggy said, which earned him a slap from Ella.

"Sorry, baby." He said, pulling her into a hg, which she wriggled out of. She smiled, though, to show him she was only kidding about being mad.

"Must you hit on every moving female?" She asked. He laughed, and then slipped his hand into hers. I grinned at the couple, thinking about how I would like that, someday.

XXXxxxXXX

"Okay, Max, I'll pick up at your house tomorrow at seven o'clock?" Nudge asked as we walked out of the school, and towards her orange Honda Civic.

"Seven? I thought we were seeing the midnight showing." I questioned, as she pulled out her keys.

"Well, it was going to be a surprise, but…"

"But…?"

"I'm gonna give you a make-over! I want you to look hot. I mean you already do, but you can do _so_ much better! You already have boys chasing after you. Think of what would happen when you get cleaned up!" She told me, staring me in the eyes, looking nervous when my expression changed to angry.

"Nudge! You were going to do this without telling me? WHAT?" I shouted at her, reaching for her. She danced out of my way, and hopped into her car, locking the doors. She rolled down her window a little so I could hear her.

"I'm going to pick you up at seven. Be ready!" She yelled, pulling away. I was to mad to chase after her.

XXXxxxXXX

When I home, I got no crap from Lara, though I knew that wouldn't last long. She was going to go out tonight, get drunk, and come back and beat me. I scurried up into my room and did the assigned homework. Then, I grabbed my ipod, put on Paramore, and turned it all the way up.

Some time later, I was awakened by the voice in my head.

_Maximum, roll over. _It told me.

_Huh? _I thought back. Too late. A fist came down on my stomach, knocking the air out of me.

"Stupid girl! Sitting around, doing nothing! Why did your stupid father leave me with you? I just wanted the money! Not a stupid girl." Lara shouted as she pushed me on the floor and kicked me continually. I tried to get up, but I couldn't move. My brain had stopped all rational thoughts, except to curl up into a ball and shield my head.

"Why are you here? No one wants you! No one loves you! You are a mistake, a failure! You shouldn't be here!" She yelled into my ear. I felt tears prick my eyes as she grabbed me and threw me as far as she could. I crashed into the wall, bloodied and bruised. She murmured to herself as she stumbled out of my room and down the hall.

XXXxxxXXX

The next day at seven, I was ready. I walked down the street to the park where I had told Nudge to pick me up. I did not want her anywhere near Lara. She arrived, Ella in the passenger seat. I mentally cursed her.

"Hi Max!" Ella squealed as I hopped into the back seat. "This is going to be _so_ much fun!"

"Oh, great God." I muttered. They heard me and started cackling. We pulled into a long, winding, gravel driveway, large trees on either side. It was a huge front yard, with rolling hills and a rather large pond.

"You'll love Anne. She's super nice." Nudge told me. Ella nodded in agreement. "Now, when you get inside, just ignore Polka and Dot. They'll start barking and growling and just throw a fit.

"Polka and Dot? Anne?" I asked.

"Anne is my adoptive mother. Polka and Dot are our dogs. Polka is the Border Collie, and Dot is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are madly in love." She said, smiling at me through the mirror. I smiled back, and then looked out the window. It was a lot to take in.

We all hopped out of the Honda Civic, and walked up the walkway, up the stairs, and in the door, Nudge in the lead.

"Hey mom!" She called. "We're going upstairs. We aren't going to back for a few hours, okay?"

"Yes, honey. But I want to meet Max!" a woman said, coming around the corner. Her short hair was platinum blonde, making a sort of halo around her face. She looked like an angel. Her smile was sweet and caring, like a real mother's should be. She had little crows feet at the outer corners of her eyes from smiling.

"Hi, you must be Max." She said, her aquamarine eyes shining in the dim light.

"Hello. You're Anne? It's so nice to meet you. Nudge is really awesome." I said. Her smile grew wider, and she pulled me into a half-hug. She was holding a dog whose barking didn't cease. It wasn't awkward, or anything, it was nice.

"Dot, shush. Yes, Nudge grown into a very mature young lady. Very beautiful, too." She said.

"C'mon, mom, we need to get her upstairs. It'll take every bit of time we have to get her ready." Nudge said. My eyes widened, and Anne and Ella laughed at my expression. Nudge grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs, Ella following. I mouthed "help me," to Anne, and then she disappeared from sight.

**My mom is being all "RAWR go to bed!" So, I'll write more tomorrow...AFTER I get up to 40 votes! PLEASE?**


	5. House of Nudge

**Oh, my Corn! Sorry, corn is a topic that me and my friend Caroline love to converse about. She is in Iowa right now…Anyways, I have reached 51 reviews at last count! SQUEE! You guys are awesome! I mean, 51? You guys are amazing! So, here we go!**

As Nudge walked into her closet, looking for a "cute" outfit, Ella sat me down and started looking me over like I was getting ready to a photo shoot, or something. Oh, God no!

"Here we go!" Nudge said, coming out with a strip of black lace. She held it up to me and I saw that it covered my chest. That was it.

"Nudge, you don't really expect me to wear that. Do you?" I asked, grimacing. She cocked an eyebrow while Ella giggled.

"Remember, Max. You are in the house of Nudge. When it comes to clothes, I'm dangerously serious. If I say something, I mean it. Now, go put this on, before I rip your head off." Nudge told me, sounding vital. She handed me the shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans.

I stepped into the big dressing room, stripped down to my under garments, and put the shirt on. It stopped at my ribcage, revealing scars and bruises. Shit.

"Max? Are you done? I can't wait to see how it looks on you!" Nudge squealed in. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, and answered her.

"Nudge, is this really-"

"Yes, Max, it is really!"

"But, Nudge-"

"No, buts Max!" Ella called in. Oh, great. I swallowed one more time and walked out, trying to slouch over and cover my stomach. I heard their gasps, but didn't look at them.

"Max!" They both cried in unison.

"What happened?" Nudge pained. She and Ella were staring at my skinny stomach in horror. Ella's jaw was dropped. Nudge had tears in her eyes.

"Um, I fell down the stairs." I said, quickly lying. I could _not_ have them call the authorities. I would _so_ be in for it. Lara would be furious.

"Fell down the stairs? That's…like not even funny, Max. What happened? Has someone been hurting you?" Nudge's big brown eyes searched mine, looking for the truth. Her eyebrows were furrowed in hurt, tears streaming down her face.

"I fell down the stairs, Nudge, that's all. I promise, I'm okay. I'm tough. I was just having a bad day." I said, shrugging it off.

"They must've been some pretty steep stairs." Ella said. She was shaking her head.

"Yeah, well…" I said, turning around and walking back into the dressing room. I tried to find something that that resembled a shirt, but Nudge had nothing. So, I found something close. A red, lacey shirt. It had one sleeve, and a dragon design on it. God, this girl owned nothing appropriate. At least it came down to my hips. But it was pretty tight. I walked back out in my almost-shirt.

"How does it look?" I asked. More like groaned. Nudge and Ella's chattering stopped and they both looked up. They started making fashion comments half-heartedly.

"Maybe with my red gloves?" Nudge asked Ella. Ella nodded.

"And the black skinny jeans. Can I do her hair?"

"Yeah, and I'll do the make-up. Will you make some room on my dresser?"

"Sure."

After about 2 minutes, Nudge and Ella picked up speed, which I assumed meant that they forgot all about my little "trip down the stairs." Ella sprayed the heck out of my hair with a whole bunch of stuff, then tried different styles, Nudge making comments, Ella agreeing.

"Up like this?" Ella asked.

"Oh, YES! Perfect! Sexy, but not sluttish. Pretty. Way better looking than that Lissa ever was."

"Lissa?" I questioned, my brows knitting together. They knew Lissa? How? Did they use to be friends?

"Lissa is this redhead chick that used to be Fang's girlfriend. She was a total bitch. I hated her." Ella told me. "But Fang, being the great guy he is, didn't break up with her. He's to nice. She broke up with him, but now she wants him back."

"Yep, she's an idiot." Nudge agreed. She went back to caking crap on my face, focusing like I some kind of piece of art. I sure felt like it with all this primping. And it totally sucked.

"Nudge, do you think she would like it if we gave her bangs?" Ella asked. My eyes widened.

"I don't know. But it seems like the look we're trying to give her. Edgy." Nudge replied. My nostrils flared.

"I. Am. Right. Here!" I shouted.

"Don't move, I'm working on your eyeliner. I don't want it to smudge." Nudge commanded. "So yes to the bangs?" She asked.

"No! I like my hair long. And it takes _forever _to grow bangs out." I told them. They heaved a sigh together, then returned to their activities.

XXXxxxXXX

An hour later, they were satisfied, and let me get up. I took one look in the mirror and screamed.

"What have you _done_ to me!" I shouted. Nudge rolled her eyes, and Ella giggled. "It's not funny! What is this?"

"We just fixed you up a little, Max. Nothing to get worked up about." Nudge told me, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm washing it off!" I threw over my shoulder, walking into the huge bathroom. Then, Nudge said something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

"It doesn't wash off, Max. Not unless you have a special cleaner. Which I have hidden just for this occasion." She said behind me. "Now, c'mon, we're going to be late."

"Oh, Nudge, I'm not going out like this."

"You want to bet?"

**Ah ha, ha! I left you guys off there, cause I'm about ready to pass out. I'm really tired. But you guys can thank music for getting me through this. Paramore's headbanger songs and all the other fabulous music out there! You can also thank yourself. You guys are wicked cool, and keep me busy this break. You guys ROCK! I'll write the next one once I get…say 65 reviews? PLEASE?**


	6. Author's Note

**Hey guys! Sorry about this, because I HATE them, too. But, alas, it has to be done! -throws arm over forehead dramatically- Okay, so this weekend (and then perhaps some time after) will update-less. I'm going to Hershey Park to see Paramore! Screamin' HALLELUJAH! So, I'll see you all when I get back, and I'll work as hard as possible to get those next chapters up!**


	7. The Movie Theater

**I thought I'd write another one really quick while I'm waiting to be picked up. Forgive me if it's not that good. I got about 2 hours of sleep last night…yeah, so here you go.**

Nudge somehow dragged me out into her car, me kicking and screaming the whole way. I glared at her, but she just kept trudging on, Ella following quickly.

"Nudge, this is not cool." I told her. She just shrugged. She sat me down in the passenger seat, buckled me in and ran around to the other side. And locked the car before I could get out. Flip, the child locks!

"Nudge!" I cried, frustrated.

"Max!" She mocked. "Ella, what CD should we listen to?" Nudge asked, looking back at Ella through the mirror. Ella shrugged, then started asking about listening to the radio.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Nudge replied. She pressed the "search" button, and looked for tuner. Then, there we were, Nudge and Ella singing along with Travis McCoy and Bruno Mars to the catchy song, Billionaire. Nudge even rapped, which made me smile.

XXXxxxXXX

Soon we were at the movie theater, and as I got out, I noticed the heels that Nudge had strapped on. Crap!

"Nudge." I said slowly. She turned her head towards me, indicating that she was listening, yet she kept her eyes on the ground. "Look at me, please."

"Yes, Max?" She said, not looking at me, but a few inches to my left.

"What. Is. This?" I asked through clenched teeth, pointing down at my feet. She followed my finger, then her expression changed to smug. Her smile was devious as she answered.

"Why, those are my boots. They were a lot of money. I'm glad you like them!" She said. My eyes narrowed. But before I could decide if I really wanted to strangle her, I heard Iggy call Ella's name.

He and the guys came down the little ramp, dressed in normal clothes. While Nudge, Ella, and I were all super over-dressed. God, I felt so stupid. The guys' eyes widened, even Fang's, when they saw me, which made me feel even worse. I almost covered my face, but I didn't want them thinking I was feeling sorry for myself.

"Whoa, Max. You look hot!" Gazzy told me. Iggy's mouth just hung open. Fang had a brow cocked, but that was it.

"Gazzy, I don't know whether to feel insulted, or to feel praised." Nudge said, looking confused.

"Nudge, you know I love you." He told her, walking over and giving her a hug. She smiled at him, but it didn't exactly reach her eyes. Ella swatted at Iggy, who closed his mouth and put an arm around her shoulders, but remained silent and kept sneaking glances at me. Fang walked up beside me.

"I see you noticed the torture Nudge and Ella put me through." I told him, not looking. I saw from the corner of my eye that he nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm not sorry." He whispered, smirking. "You look-" he cut himself off. My head snapped up, and I glared at him.

"What were you about to say?" I asked hardly.

"Nothing, nothing. So are you excited about the movie?" He asked.

"Don't change the subject."

"What team are you on?"

"Fang-"

"I'm on team Edward. Jacob may be hot, but the way Robert displays Edward is just so…touching." He told me, making the other's chuckle. I tried to keep the smile off my face.

"I'm on Team Emmett. He's hot!" Ella said. Iggy made a face.

"I like Esme." Gazzy said suddenly. Everyone stopped talking and all looked at him. He seemed to grow smaller. "What?" He asked innocently. We all burst into giggles.

"I like an older woman." Gazzy told us, his eyes furrowing. We all laughed until we arrived.

XXXxxxXXX

"Why is everyone staring?" I whispered to no one in particular.

"'Cause you look wicked!" Ella said. I eyed her with disapproval. "What?"

I sighed, "I'll get the snacks." I told them. They gave me the orders, then went to go sit down. I got in line, and waited for about five minutes before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, my hair flapping whoever it was in the face.

"Oh, sorry!" I said, blushing. He just smiled, showing two rows of perfect white teeth. He had gorgeous green eyes, though not as pretty as Lissa's. He had high cheekbones, a long, sleek nose and a muscular body. Also, a bit of stubble made him even more appealing.

"That's quite alright." He told me, in a heart-stopping British accent. **(AN: I know he's not British in the books, but I couldn't resist!) **It made my insides melt. "My name is Sam, and I was just marveling at how pretty you look from behind. I wanted to see your face. Now I see that you are like a rose." He told me. He wasn't smiling, instead he looked dead serious.

I laughed.

"Thanks." I said, feeling pretty awkward. My blush was now raging. He looked behind me, so I turned to see that it was now my turn to order.

"I'll have 3 large popcorns, 2 nachos, 6 large drinks, 5 cokes and a sprite, 1 sour patch kids, 2 Swedish fish, 2 nerds rope, and a reeses pieces." I told the cashier, ticking them off on my fingers. The cashier was some nerdy guy whose teeth had a huge gap, and had a bunch of acne. He gave me a weird grunt and then a smile.

"Okay, be right back!" He said, zipping off to get my order. Sam's voice behind me started up again as I started to pull out some cash.

"That's quite a lot for such a small lady." He said.

"I have 5 friends here with me tonight. 3 of them are teenage guys, so yeah, I have to get a lot to keep them satisfied. I told him, smiling to myself. The cashier came back with the drinks, and the nachos. He bent down to get the candy. Someone else brought over a popcorn, and I huge caddy thing for me to carry it with.

"That'll be…$71.59, ma'am." He told me. I nodded, and started to hand the cash over, but a hand came over my shoulder, holding out a card.

"Here, put that on this." Sam told the cashier. The cashier looked afraid, then nodded, while I mentally cursed Sam.

"God, and why did you do that?" I shouted at him.

"Well, I wasn't going to let you pay for that all by yourself."

"Why not? I have the money, it's my food, and I hate when men try to do that!"

"Do what?"

"Act like just because we're girls, we can't handle what you can. Bye." I told him, heading down the isle towards the movie.

"Here, let me walk with you at least." He said. I looked at him, and there was pleading in his eyes.

"It's a free country, do what you want." I told him.

"Alright, then I want to do this." He said, taking a popcorn from me. Before I could protest, he said, "What movie are you going to see?"

"Eclipse. Nudge's choice."

"Nudge?"

"My friend. She did this to me." I said, pointing at my clothes and make-up.

"Oh. Well, you should thank her. Your boyfriend must be in a frenzy."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"No boyfriend? Then forgive me for this." He said, then he bent down and gave me a kiss. It was just a peck, but it was full on the lips. I must've been really shocked, because no words would form.

He handed me the popcorn, and then walked off in the opposite direction.

**Stopped there, 'cause I have to go pack. By the way, I see we have lots of Paramore lovers here…so, please, check out my little songfic on my fiction press. I'm Calico Storms on there for anyone interested. It's called Emergency. Review and tell me whatcha think! Thanks, guys! Best wishes for the weekend!**


	8. Ice Cream? At 2 AM?

**Hey guys! I'm back! Thanks for all the wishes you granted, the concert was awesome. All though my feet were sore by the end of it. The concert was about 5 hours long, and I waited for two hours right before that in line for Fahrenheit! But it was all good, 'cause as soon as Kadawatha, New Found Glory, Tegan and Sara played, everything in my world went blank except for the people on the stage! Paramore rocked everybody's socks, and played for us so many songs. It was wicked cool, but I really, really wish, with all my heart, that you guys could've been there with me! I missed ya'll!**

**By the way, 88 frickin' reviews? That's awesome! You guys rocked. I guess that Sam got a reaction outta you! So, before I keep you guys waiting any longer, lets start!**

_Previously:_

"_I don't have a boyfriend."_

_"No boyfriend? Then forgive me for this." He said, then he bent down and gave me a kiss. It was just a peck, but it was full on the lips. I must've been really shocked, because no words would form._

_He handed me the popcorn, and then walked off in the opposite direction._

I hurried into the movie theater, thanking God that it was already so dark that you couldn't see my face. I sat down next to Fang, and handed down the goodies. I settled down into my chair, sinking. I kept the popcorn Sam had had for myself. The movie had only just started when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Must've jumped about a foot in the air.

"Max?" Fang whispered next to me.

"God! You could've warned me! You gave me a heart attack!" Was my response.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure, just peachy keen. How about you?" I asked. Trying to calm my racing heart.

"Fine. But you seem really tense for some reason. Everything okay?" He asked me. I sighed and nodded. Then went back to watching the movie, looking towards the exit every few minutes.

I noticed Fang keeping an eye on me throughout the movie, but he didn't say anything else. Also, once the popcorn was gone, I noticed a slip of paper with my name on it and ten numbers. From _Sam_.

All the kissing that Edward and Bella did was sweet. But then, there was the kissing with Jacob which made me think about Sam. Plus, there is a character in the movie called Sam! Who wants a character to be named Sam? I mean really…heh, heh.

When the movie was over, Ella and Nudge had tears in their eyes. And they clapped and whooped, yelling: "Encore, encore!" I shook my head and tried to make it look like I wasn't with them.

"Oh, my gosh, that was so sweet!" Nudge declared at the top of her lungs as we walked out. Ella nodded, pulling out a tissue to wipe her eyes and nose with.

"Yeah, sure." Iggy said, making a face. Nudge slapped him, and the rest of us chuckled. Iggy pulled Ella to him and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He smiled goofily while Gazzy gave him a thumbs up. Nudge and Gazzy held hands, swinging them back and forth. It was really cute. Fang and I just walked next to each other.

"So, did you like the movie?" I asked, not looking at him.

"Yeah. It was…um…"

"Mmm, that's how I feel, too." I told him. His lips twitched, but he didn't exactly smile. I did, though.

"Hey, guys, I'm hungry." Iggy told us. His stomach growled in agreement. Gazzy and Nudge nodded. Ella cocked an eyebrow and Fang just stood there.

"Hey! Lets get ice cream!" Nudge shouted enthusiastically. Everyone who wasn't already looking turned around to give us wide eyes and dropped jaws. I mean who eats ice cream at two o'clock in the freaking morning? Apparently our little group did. So, unable to go home without Nudge and Ella, I followed my friends to Cold Stone which was right around the corner.

"Alright, I'll have a cappuccino crunch." Nudge told the lady. "What do you guys want?"

"I'll have a pistachio cone." Iggy said.

"I want a birthday cake smoothie." Ella decided.

"Ooh, yeah! I want the same thing! It sounds yummy." Gazzy agreed.

"I'll have a swirled cone." Fang told the woman. She smiled sexily at Fang. She was about 5'9", maybe sixteen, seventeen. She was blonde with crystal clear blue eyes. She was really very pretty, with white teeth, high cheekbones, and a long nose. Her ears are pierced, and so is her eyebrow. But it doesn't make her look at all intimidating. Only more appealing.

"Anything you want, sugar." She told him, smacking her gum. She winked. Her name tag said Brigid. She was probably a prostitute or something. She looked like a total slut. Even more so than Lissa. I cleared my throat.

"_I_ would like a green tea ice cream cone." I said. Brigid's expression instantly changed. She sneered at me.

"Of course. Sweetheart." She said, snarling the last word. Fang raised an eyebrow. She quickly laughed awkwardly, recovering in time to give Fang one more quick grin before she turned in the orders.

We all sat down at a table and Ella launched into a funny story about Fang when he was five. Apparently, the are "Irish twin's" which means that they are siblings born in the same year, yet not the same day. Ella's birthday was in January, while Fang's was in August.

The waitress came over with our sundaes. She was a different girl than Brigid, but handed Fang a napkin with a phone number on it. Fang's eyes widened.

"That's from Brigid. Call her." The woman said. She was about twenty-eight, yet she sized up the boys with hungry, cold eyes.

"Ooo-ooh!" Nudge said. "Someone likes Fang!"

"She better not be some horrible dragon woman." Ella said, trying to protect her brother. She scowled at Brigid, who wasn't listening to the customer trying to order. She was staring at Fang like a tigress, getting ready to pounce.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Fang said. We all nodded, taking our sweets outside with us and just down the street to a small park.

Nudge and Gazzy walked over a tree and leaned against it, holding hands and sharing ice cream. Ella and Iggy climbed up the playground equipment and into the tower, sitting together. I sat down on a swing while Fang sat down next to me.

We heard Ella giggle, and Iggy murmur something. Then a sound that sounded weirdly like a low moan. I raised my eyebrows, Fang doing the same.

We heard Nudge talking non-stop, just like the chatterbox se is. And then, there was a break. Nudge and Gazzy were no where to be seen.

"Iggy." Fang warned. "You _better_ be careful with my sister." Iggy just grunted.

"Oh, God." I said, getting up and walking a few paces away, pretending to be sickened. I turned around to what Fang was doing, and I came face-to-chest with Emo Boy himself.

"Speak of the devil." I said. "Dude, how do you get so far never making a sound?" I asked, a little breathless. He shrugged.

"What are you doing over here, anyway?" I asked again. He shrugged again. I raised an eyebrow, expecting an answer.

"Came to find you. I just didn't want any creep to harass you. Who knows? Maybe Josh and Dwayne are here." He said.

"Well, thanks for your concern. But I'm fine." I said.

"I noticed your expressions tonight in the ice creamery." Fang said. I was lucky my back was to the street light. Then, I could see Fang's expression, yet he couldn't see mine. This was good because I probably looked completely crazy. Nervous and angry at the same time.

"Are you accusing me of being…jealous?" I asked him. He did something unexpected. He leaned down and put his lips to my ear.

"It's okay to be jealous." He told me.

**Me: Okay, so I'll write more in…I dunno. I'm not going to ask to raise the reviews anymore. I figure that if I quit asking, you guys'll review more. I hope so! Anyway, you guys beat my other story, "101****st**** Hunger Games" by 6 reviews…so lets keep it up! Thanks guys!**

**Nudge: And as always, review!**

**Me: Or I'll sic Angel on you!**


	9. Discussing Sam

**Whoa, guys! Hey! Imma watching Family Guy, listening to New Found Glory, and writing Secrets Unkept all at the same time! So, yeah forgive me. And thanks for the reviews!**

**Love ya's bunches!**

Fang's deep, mellow, delicious voice sent shivers down my spine. He chuckled lightly, sending a warm, sweet air over the back of my neck. He smelled like a crisp October night. Refreshing.

There was a piercing, high-pitched scream. Fang's head swiveled up. He turned around.

"Ella?" He said. We both started forward, going to find out what was going on. We streaked across the park. I hadn't thought we had been so far away, yet it was at least 2 minutes before we reached the playground, even though we were basically sprinting.

The scream came again, this time followed by giggles. "Iggy!" Ella said. "Iggy, stop!" She told him, giggling. It certainly didn't sound like she wanted him to stop.

"Ella!" Fang called, looking angry. "Ell?"

"Leave us alone!" Iggy moaned. He sounded occupied.

"That's it!" Fang called, climbing up the playground stairs. I stomped up after him, trying to stop him. But he reached the couple first.

Ella and Iggy were sitting there, full make-out session in the midst. Iggy's shirt was half pulled up, Ella's hands against his bare chest. Ella's shirt was also a little ruffled, but so far, Iggy's hands weren't up as far as hers. But, his hands were down lower then expected.

"Get up, Ella. We're going home." Fang said, pulling her up by the arm.

"Fang, let go!" she said, trying to wrench her wrist out of his grip. It must've been iron tight, because it wouldn't budge. "You aren't my father!" She told him in a cold voice. He immediately hissed and backed away in shock. Ella held her wrist to her chest, rubbing it.

"Guys, guys! Lets just go home!" I said, trying to get in between them in an attempt to break the hostile atmosphere. I grabbed Ella, and pulled her away. I put my arms around her, and she started to sob on my shoulder. I murmured reassuring words to her, all the while, glaring daggers at Fang.

"Nudge, Gazzy, we're leaving! _Now_!" I yelled. Fang was still just staring at us, mouth slightly agape. Iggy had gotten up, and was following a bit slower, muttering to himself.

"Oh, Max!" Ella cried in horror.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. You're okay." I told her, patting her back soothingly.

"I'm so embarrassed! Iggy probably thinks I'm some freak, now!" She sniffled. My eyebrows furrowed in sympathy for the poor girl. She hugged me like I was her lifeline, keeping a very tight hold on me. She was just like the Ella I had seen on my first day not even a week ago. Like a child, she was completely innocent and I wouldn't have been able t say no to anything she asked for. She had me wrapped around her finger, even though she was older than me.

"What happened?" Nudge asked, as she and Gazzy materialized from the small wood next to us.

"Fang caught Ella and Iggy making out and flipped." I told them.

"What? Oh, Ella!" Nudge pitied.

"It's okay, Nudge, she's alright. But could you go get the car warmed up? It's cold out." I said, trying to loose Nudge. If there was one thing I learned in the past week about Ella, it was that she didn't like to be pitied.

"Yeah."

"Gazzy, make sure Fang's okay. Ella and him got at it pretty hard. He might be in shock." I said. He nodded and went to find Fang.

"Max?" Ella asked once they were gone.

"Yeah, honey?"

"Thanks. You're a god friend."

"Your welcome. You sure your okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

XXXxxxXXX

We all slept over at Nudge's house that night. Ella needed the comfort. Anne was very kind about it. She was a super sweet person.

That night, we talked about boys. I told them about Sam, and showed them the number he gave me. They squealed and laughed, and urged me to call him. I must've been on a sugar-high or something, because I did end up calling Sam.

"Hey, Sam. It's me, Max." I told him. His breath on the other end of the phone stopped short. Then there was a burst of his voice.

"Oh Max! I thought you and your friends had devoured my number." He said, in that lulling voice of his. His accent was so…captivating. I laughed along with the silent snickers that Nudge and Ella couldn't keep in.

"Am I on speaker phone?" He asked.

"No!" _Yes._

"Okay, then. So, I suppose you called me because…"

"Because I want to get to know you better."

"Alright then. Can I pick you up around six tomorrow?"

"Yes." I agreed, Telling him to pick me up at Nudge's address. She nodded furiously, and then jumped up to go start on my wardrobe for the next day. Ella followed, all the drama from earlier, forgotten.

"Very well! Until tomorrow, Love." He told me. To my surprise, I smiled. I really liked the idea that tomorrow, I would go on my first ever date. I would get to act normal, just for a little while.

XXXxxxXXX

The next day, I went to the mall in search of a new outfit, courtesy of Nudge and Ella. Every shiny thing they saw, they had to stop and buy.

"Ooh, this would look great on you!" Ella exclaimed, holding up a purple cocktail dress.

"And these are your size! The color fits you personality, too." She said, pointing to pair of hot pink heels.

"No, no. That's okay. I'd never wear them again." I told the girls, waving them off. They just kept bringing me clothes, stuffing me into changing rooms, and ringing up whatever fit me.

"Nudge, Ella?" Said a voice behind us. I swear, I could see Nudge and Ella's ears perk at the sound of the melodious voice.

"Jasmine?" Ella asked, turning and running towards the girl. Nudge followed, dropping the bags she was holding.

"Ahhhh!" She screamed in pure bliss. The girls had a huge group hug, all of them talking at once. I looked on in amusement. Nudge and Ella went on hyper-drive, pelting this Jasmine with questions, and quickly answering hers.

"Oh, and this is Max." I heard Nudge say. Then the group walked-well, hopped-over and Jasmine hugged me, with no warning. Sounds like someone I know…

"Hi, I'm Jasmine! I'm Nudge and Ella's friend. We were, like, inseparable last year! Then I moved and I had to go to a different school. We haven't seen each other since!" She told me. They all hugged again, and then started a story about their first meeting in the seventh grade.

"I cannot believe I found you guys again! I _so_ missed you!" She told Nudge and Ella.

"We missed you, too Jasmine! And the guys do, too." Ella replied.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, Max here got a date with a total hottie by the sounds of it. And we are going to make her smoking hot!" Nudge said. Jasmine smiled slyly.

"Oh! I see. What is this hottie's name?"

"Sam."

"Ooh, nice and cute. I like him already!" Jasmine squealed, which in turn made Ella and Nudge squeal.

"Yeah, and he's British, too!"

"Oh?" Jasmine said, starting to sound a bit suspicious. She raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip.

"Yeah."

"What does he, uh, look like?" She asked, tapping her fingers against her thighs. Boy, she was getting awfully fidgety.

"Well, she has blonde hair that's parted on the side, so his bangs flop to the side a bit. His brilliant green eyes are…piercing." I told her. It might sound pretty cliché, but his eyes were like love at first sight.

"Do you have his number, maybe?" She asked. I started to ask her why she could possibly want his number, but she put her hand up and stopped me.

"I just think I know him, that's all." She reassured me. I nodded and pulled out the crumpled paper.

"Yup, that's him. I wouldn't do this if I were you Max. Girl to girl, this is a bad, bad idea. He's not the charming man you think he is." She told me.

"He's not? And how do you know?" I asked, truly curious.

"I used to date him."

**So, I left off there, because it's 2:36 in the morning and I've decided to try this new thing called sleep! (I got that from daughterxofxapollo, and thought it was pretty funny, so I added it in.) Anyways, I'm tired, so I would like some reviews for this…please?**

**And by the way! I got 100 reviews! 100, 100, 100! I'm amazed! So, this is super, super long, and dedicated to my 100th**** reviewer, and my good friend, HamstersRockMySocks! Check out her channel, and her new original story, the Ghostly Eye. It's uber good!**


	10. Don't know what to name this chapter!

**Me: Hey guys! It's me, Fanged! Just checking in, and delivering the new chapter! And Jasmine is here to help me introduce it! Say hi, Jasmine!**

**J: Hi!**

**Everyone else: Hi!**

**Okay, so here it is. Enjoy it! Also, P.S., I've been trying to write longer chapters, but so far, chapter two has been the longest. So forgive me, I'm trying my best!**

"You used to _what_?" I asked. This was the biggest news I've heard all day.

"I used to date Sam. He was a total douche." She said, looking like this was everyday stuff, like she was bored or something.

"_What_?" Was all I could say. Nudge and Ella were silent, which was a bad sign. It's like all the birds stop chirping right before a storm hits. A big storm. Jasmine sighed.

"Do I really have to repeat it all again?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Explain." I told her. She nodded and started on her history with Sam.

"Well, a few months ago, Sam saw me at a restaurant with my friends. As I got up to go to the bathroom, he followed and waited outside of the door, then when I emerged, he 'accidentally' bumped into me, and we started talking. He slipped me his number, and then I called him. We went out on our first date not two days later. He was a gentleman for the first few dates. And then I began to see a change. He would snap at me repeatedly, or verbally beat me down. Then, I found out I had gained a few pounds, and I vented to him. I told him that I felt fat and unlovable, hoping he would get nicer and, like, hug me and tell me it was alright or something. Then, he dropped me, like that. Turned out all he wanted was some little tiny thing that would look good on his shoulder."

"And he just…dumped you? Just cause of that?" Ella asked. She had little tears in her eyes. Jeez, they must've been really good friends, these girls.

"Yup. But I was glad. I mean, I don't want him for a boyfriend if he dumps me for gaining a few pounds. That, my friends, is what I call a dud. He is _not_ for me. That's all."

"Still, Jasmine, that's horrible."

"Yeah, it's okay now, though. I'm over him. But, I'm still warning you against going out with him, Max."

"I know." I told her. But I was not going to ruin my first date over something like this. I mean, what if it's a totally different Sam. Or maybe she's just making this up. Or what if he's changed? Well, either way, I was going out tonight.

"Alright, well, I gotta go. But it was awesome meeting up with you guys again! And you, Max! You seem really awesome. But, Dylan is waiting for me in the next store over. Plus, we have to stop by Hottopic after this. So, I'll see you!" She said, hugging everyone again, including me.

"Bye," we all chorused as she headed out the door. She looked back at us, smiled, waved and then disappeared.

"I can't believe we finally got to see her again! That girl is wicked awesome. I miss her so much…" Nudge sighed, looking to us.

"Yeah, and I can't believe that crud ball! That's so like a dude, to be so shallow!" Ella wailed. Nudge and I nodded our heads.

"Most guys are like that, yes. But, Dylan sounds nice." I said. They smiled.

"Yeah, I guess he is. I mean, if Jasmine really likes him, then he must be a great guy." Nudge said, still smiling to herself.

"He better be! She deserves only the best. I would recommend Fang, but that would be just to weird. I mean, they've known each other for years." Ella said, immediately waving the thought away. Nudge and I instantly agreed. That would be weird.

"Yes, but when is Fang going to find someone? I mean he's a great guy, and he must be lonely." I said. Nudge and Ella stopped dead in their tracks, looking at each other.

"What?"

XXXxxxXXX

My date with Sam. That's all I could possibly think about. My date with Sam. He would be here in…I checked the clock. 10 minutes. Nudge and Ella were satisfied with the way I looked. This time, they tried a different style. Sweet and cute. I thought it was a little more appropriate, but the way Nudge dressed me, not by much.

I wore this gorgeous dress that was black, strapless, and came down to just above my knees. It had an intricate design below the chest area, where it buttoned in the back. It looked like a crown around my waist. It was beautiful. My hair cascaded down my back in luxurious waves. They gave me a handbag that I kept a tampon, a pen, my phone and some money in.

My make-up was eyeliner, mascara, white eye shadow, and white eye gel. They also plucked the heck out of my eyes. They put on a little blush and some concealer over the shadows beneath my eyes. They gave me some Belladonna lip gloss that made my lips look sparkly.

"You look great, honey. Don't be so worried. And quit biting you're lip!" Nudge said.

"I think it's cute when people bite their lips." Ella said. "It shows a bit of personality. It makes them seem like they are human, too. Like they make mistakes and worry about them, too. You know?"

"Um, no, I don't know, Ella." Nudge said. I laughed and Ella's shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I know." Ella said. We all laughed again.

I walked in front of the mirror again and checked out my slim figure. I was strapped in small heels that made my feet look dainty. My dress made me look tiny and feminine and delicate. I felt pretty. I smiled and instantly, my whole face lit up.

"You know, Max. You really are pretty." Nudge said from the other room. She was watching me.

"Thanks Nudge." I said.

"Well, it's true!" She muttered, looking away. I grinned at her, flipping my tongue out. She turned her head and caught me.

"Hey!" She said. "Very mature, Max." She told me.

"Like your any better!" I told her. She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, that's it!" She said getting off the beanbag chair. Ella's head snapped up, and she grinned.

"What are you going to do, Miss Priss?" I asked. She was at least a head smaller than me, especially with these stiletto's on.

"I'm going to do this!" She said, flipping the bird.

"Oh, wow! I'm so hurt!" I said, smirking. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Ella hopped up and tried to squeeze in between us. She tried to push us away from each other, though it didn't really work. Luckily, a doorbell ringing stopped us.

I ran-well, tripped-down the stairs while Nudge and Ella peered down at us through the bars at the top of the stairs like the little five-year-olds they were.

"Hello!" I said, opening the door to a well-groomed Sam. He still hadn't shaved though. And boy did he look delicious.

"Hi." He lulled. Melodious. That was the word for his voice. It was a lullaby that circled around and around in my head, refusing to let go.

"So, shall we be off?" He asked after a few minutes of us just staring at each other.

"Um, yeah. Sure. Bye!" I yelled to who ever was in the house listening. Then he and I got into his car and drove off to my surprise dinner.

**Okay, stopping here. This was basically just a filler. The next chapter will probably be some drama, but I'm just winging it, so there is no way to tell for sure. This is what you get out of me being bored…a story where even the author doesn't know what happens next!**


	11. The Date and Afterwards

**No news today, other than the fact that I now have 116 reviews, so here is the next chapter! Have fun reading! Enjoy! LOVE YOU GUYS! Oh, and by the way, they are in Virginia, since that is where Anne lived in the books. So, I just decided that this is where they will be, okay? Thanks!**

Sam and I arrived at the Willow, a fancy place in northern Virginia. It was beautiful, but definitely not my kind of place. See, if I were the one taking Sam out, we probably would've gone some place like McDonalds, to tell you the truth.

When we got our table, we sat, Sam pushing my chair in for me like a gentleman. Please.

"So, how goes it?" I asked. Small talk. Ugh.

"It goes well." I laced my fingers together and rested my chin on them, staring at my date. This was kind of awkward.

"Well, tell me about yourself." He said. I sighed, rolled my eyes, then explained my living situation. Well, lied about my living situation.

"I live with my mother, Anne, and my adopted sister Nudge. I'm sure you heard the two dogs barking at you when I came out. That was Polka and Dot." I told Sam. Then, I something caught my eye. A girl waving to me from across the restaurant. My first thought was _oh, no, Ella and Nudge followed me. _And then I realized it was neither of them. It was Jasmine. And she was on her way over.

"Oh!" I said, jumping up from my seat, startling Sam, who was in the middle of talking to me. "Pardon me. I have to, uh, use the bathroom." I said, hurrying past him to Jasmine.

"Hi, Max!" She screamed. I tried to shush her, putting a finger to my lips. She looked around and shrunk a little.

"Right, oops. Sorry!" She whispered. I pretty much felt Sam look around to find me, so I grabbed her and slid her into the closest open booth.

"You look great! You're on a date?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes, but nodded. Then a look of remembrance spread across her face.

"Y-you aren't here with _him_, are you?" She asked, looking afraid. I nodded and her expression just got more anxious.

"Max! I told you! I thought you would have listened to me!" Jasmine told me.

"I had already agreed, and I couldn't have just told him no." I hissed.

"Yes, you could've! With him, yes!" She said. Then she put her hands up like she was defeated. "Fine, Max, fine. You want to date him? Go ahead. But there is no turning back. I warned you." She said, then got up and left. I mentally cursed myself, and then got up to join Sam again.

"So sorry." I told him, not looking him in the eye."

"Quite alright. But was there a problem?" He asked. I shook my head. "Good."

"So, go on?" I told him. He returned to his long history, me nodded every few minutes, although I just tuned him out. I was really asking myself if this man had the power to hurt me. Did he?

XXXxxxXXX

The rest of the date went on without a hitch. I didn't see Jasmine again, which I guess was a good thing.

By eight o'clock, we were on our way home. Well, Nudge's house. I thanked Sam for everything, but I was still a little anxious.

"Bye Sam." I said as I got out. But he caught my hand.

"Can't I walk you to the door?" He asked. I sighed, and told him "Sure." So, we walked up and stopped on the porch. I saw Nudge and Ella poke their heads through the window, but I couldn't wave them away. Otherwise Sam would see them.

"Thanks, Sam. I really had fun tonight." I told him. He nodded.

"So maybe we could do it again?" He said, making it sound more like a question. I nodded.

"I would like that."

"Okay. I'll call you later on that." He said. Then he turned, about to leave. But something must've come over him again, because he twisted right back around, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me into a kiss. This one was more intimate then the kiss from the day before. And I didn't really want it to stop. But it did.

Sam pulled away, gave a wave, and then disappeared off the porch and down the stairs. I stood there, watching, until I was pulled inside by Nudge and Ella.

"Tell us everything." Nudge said, using her hands on 'everything.'

"Yeah! And we saw your kiss! All the details!" Ella said, her eyes wide.

"Yes, Max. We would like to know everything." Said a deep male voice behind me. Fang.

**So sorry that this is REALLY short! But, the next chapter WILL be coming VERY soon. So KEEP POSTED and maybe it will be here later TODAY. OKAY? THANKS!**


	12. Fax? Idk, but read it anyways!

**So here's the second chapter. I promised it, and here it is! I hope this makes up for the cliffy! This chapter is dedicated to all the Paramore fans out there. You guys, and EVERYONE ELSE is PARAMAZING! So, if you've never heard of Paramore, go check 'em out, and you could get awesome rewards like this! Anyways, here you go, and as always REVIEW!**

"Fang?" I asked, turning around. There he was in all of his dark-haired glory. And all of his frowning not-so-glory.

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

"I came to pick up Ella. What are _you_ doing here?" He asked. Okay, now that made me really angry.

"What, I can't go on a date? I can't hang out at a friends house? Since when?" I challenged. He looked taken aback, but he didn't look scared. He should've been.

"I never meant-"

"Well, it sure sounded like it! Should I ask your permission next time I want to go out? Maybe I should also ask you before I watch any movie above PG13, or every time I go to the mall." I said. I was just getting started.

"Max, I didn't-"

"Yeah, yeah. Nudge take me home. I'll call you later Ella." I said. Nudge and Ella nodded solemnly, and Fang just stood there. I stomped up the stairs to change, while they all silently looked on.

XXXxxxXXX

"Alright." I said, hopping down the stairs. "I'm ready. Lets go." I told Nudge. But, I found that only Ella was waiting in the foyer downstairs. She looked incredibly happy, but like she was trying desperately to hide it.

"Where is Nudge?" I asked.

"She's in the car already." Ella said. She looked like she was kind of bouncing.

"Okay…?" I said. "Bye Ella." I told her, hugging her. She barely hugged me back, before she pushed me out the door.

"Bye Max!"

"Bye-" was all I got out before she slammed the door closed. I stood there for a few seconds, and then shrugged, turning to the already running car. I opened the door, and as I was sitting down, I took one more look to the house, and then shut the door. And then heard the locks.

"Now what is it this time?" I asked turning around to face-Fang?

"Fang? Oh, Jeez!" I said, putting my hand to my racing heart. "Don't scare me like that! Where is Nudge? What are you doing now?" I asked, slowly getting more angry.

"I came to apologize." He said. Then, without warning, just like Sam, he brought my face to his and kissed me. Just like that.

The kiss went on for a while, eventually ending in my hands in his hair, his hands around my waist, pulling me closer. Then, he pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." He told me. He looked angry with himself, yet also eager for my reaction. But there was no reaction. None of what just happened registered in my brain.

"Max?"

"Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Huh?"

Fang sighed, and then put the car in 'drive.' He gave me a little time to think before asking again.

"Max. I need an answer. Otherwise, we're going to the hospital." Fang said. That snapped me out of it.

"I'm alright. Just thinking." I replied.

"About what?" He asked. "About how good a kisser I am?" He asked, looking smug. I could feel it rolling off him in waves.

"Ha, ha." I said. "Well, kind of. I was thinking about why you would kiss me. And about Lissa." I admitted.

"Lissa?" He asked. I could feel him tense.

"Yeah. She's this girl in my gym class. And…Nudge and Ella told me you used to date her." I said. His hands gripped the steering wheel.

"Yes. We did. And it's over, thank God." He said.

"Yeah. But she wants you back, you know."

"I know. But that doesn't mean _I_ want _her_ back. I regret every moment of that relationship." Fang said. I nodded.

"Yes. I totally understand. There was this one guy who I had the same problem with. His name was Ari."

"And what happened to this Ari?" Fang asked.

"Well, we moved here. Thank the Lord." I said, shaking my head.

"Why? He wasn't your prince charming?" Fang asked. He smirked.

"No. He wasn't." I told him. We were just arriving at the park. "Here is good." I told him, about to open my door. He shook his head.

"Nope, tell me where you're house is. I don't want you walking home. It's after dark.

"No, I'm good. This is an okay neighborhood." I said. And then I looked around with him at the broken windows of the surrounding houses and cars.

"Okay, it's not such an okay neighborhood. But I can take care of myself." I said reaching for the door. But then I remembered that he never unlocked the doors.

"Fang." I cautioned.

"Max." He shot back. "Now tell me where you're house is. We can sit here all day." I crossed my arms and went to stare at him. He copied me, looking totally girly. I burst out laughing.

"What?" He asked in a shrill voice. "It's-it's really not that funny. You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Alright, lets go." I said. "Turn at the next right, then go down three houses. That's where I live." I told him.

"Alright. Thank you for being so cooperative." He said. He followed my directions, then unlocked the doors.

"This is where you live?" He asked. I nodded and got out the car, waving him goodbye, but he opened his door, clambered out, and walked up to the door with me.

"G'night Fang." I said, holding my coat, so it looked like one of those oldie movies with the couple standing outside of the house, kissing where the parents couldn't see. And then the second part of that came true. Fang kissed me again.

"G'night Max." He said, then turned to leave. I smiled, and waved him off as he went. Then turned to face my almost-positively drunk stepmother.

**Okay, so here's the second chapter. And at last count, 128 reviews! So, YAY! Second, dottiecat, here is your answer. Yes, "dude, how so far never making a single sound" is, in fact, a reference to the song Where The Lines Overlap. Thanks for you're review and goodonya for liking Paramore! Also, if you guys have any more questions, I WILL answer them, so yeah, ask away!**


	13. Another Maximum Ride FF?

**Okay, so my lovely reviewers! I shall soon be starting another Maximum Ride FF, and if you would so kindly read and review, my life would be complete! BUT, I need your help, yes YOU. I need a name for this beautiful piece of art! So, if you would be so kind, in this review, please drop off a name for it! The best answer will be used! Thanks, guys! LOVE YA'S BUNCHES!**

**Summary: Max has moved into the suburbs of Chicago. Now, she has to start over, with no chance at the life she might've had before. But instead, the options have improved. Once she meets Fang, Iggy, Dylan and Gazzy, her journey is only beginning.**

**Also, do you think this will be good? Will you read it? Will others read it? I NEED HELP! So, keep a look out! Bye, guyses! Love ya!**


	14. Another Sleepover? Yay

**Alright new chapter! YAY! Also, the new story is, up if you could, please go check it out! I would be eternally grateful!**

"Maximum! Where on earth have you been, slut? Were you out getting drunk? Have you come home pregnant?" Lara asked, when apparently, _she_ was the one who was intoxicated. I didn't try words, I just dodged the pan that flew at my head.

"Come here." Her slurred words were making it hard for me to understand. "I said, come here, you little rat!" She screeched. Instead, I did something kind of stupid. I went for the front door.

As Lara charged at me, the door swung open and I bolted to the park, going to get lost in the trees that were starting to turn all sorts of colors. **(AN: I kind of forgot that the school year had just started when I mentioned the Eclipse movie, so just hang with me, okay? Thanks.) **

I could hear Lara tumbling out after me, her heavy breathing as she fought the laws of gravity and the harsh wind that were teaming up to pull her down. I found a large, mostly hidden tree where even if she found me, she wouldn't be able to climb in a million years.

I shimmied up the rough trunk, my newly placed clothes ripped and tore with the contact. I made my way up, jumping from branch to branch. I was about halfway up when I saw Lara, just a few feet away from me, looking for me. She was staring up the branches of the tree right next door, so I stopped moving and lowered myself against strong branch that was just wide enough to cover my body from sight.

I slowed my breathing, closed my eyes, and tried to make myself warm in the cold September night.

"Alright, you win, Maximum. I'm going home. And I'm locking the door. Good luck out here on your own." Lara sneered as she retreated back to the house. I cursed myself. I was out here for the whole freaking night. Alone. In the middle of September. With basically no freaking clothes on. My only option was to call someone. But who?

"Nudge?" I asked into the phone. "Pick up, pick up, pick up!"

"Hey!" She said.

"Nudge, oh thank God!"

"Sorry I cannot come to the phone right now, but please leave a message and we can talk later. TTFN!" Her recording said.

"Shit!" I yelled at my phone, like it could hear me. So, I called Ella's number. The beeps went off in my ear, and I had to grab my hair to keep from screaming.

"Hello?" She asked. I waited to see if it was a message. It wasn't.

"Ella?" I called.

"Max? Is that you? What's up?" She asked.

"Listen, I'm locked out and I need a place to stay. Can I come sleep at your house?" I asked. I heard her voice pull in in a swift breath.

"Yeah, of course, Max! I'll send Fang over right now." She told me. I could hear wind whistling through the phone. She must've been running.

"FANG!" She called. I heard a pounding on the door, and then a grumble that must've been Fang. I listened to the murmurs exchanged, even though the conversation was incoherent, then Ella was back on.

"He's coming to get you Max. Just hand tight, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." I said. "Bye, Ella. Thanks again."

"Bye Max."

Then we hung up.

XXXxxxXXX

About 20 Minutes later, I heard an engine, and saw a pair of headlights.

"Max!" A deep voice called. Fang.

"Over here." I called, waving. I grabbed my phone and went around to the passenger seat. I opened the door and plopped in, Fang looking relieved to see me.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "My mom is probably at my aunt's house or something and forgot to leave the hide-a-key." I said, telling him the lie that I had come up with only moments before.

"Oh. Do you know when she's going to be home?" He asked.

"No, probably tomorrow, though. Would it be okay if I slept over in Ella's room?" I asked. This was getting a bit awkward. I mean, sleeping in the same house as Fang? Weird.

"It's not my place to answer that question. It's not my room. But, you have permission to sleep in my house, if that's what your asking. Ella adores you. And my mom will, too." Fang said, sounding confident. Well, when is Fang ever _not_ confident. I mean, it basically rolls off of him in waves.

"Listen, Max. I'm sorry for kissing you earlier. It wasn't right. I know you're dating Sam." He said. He sounded a bit guilty.

"It's okay." Was all I could say. I mean, that kiss was…heaven. Sam's was much more forced and a lot less loving. Fang's was sweet and gentle, while Sam's was hard and quick.

"No, it's not really okay. I wouldn't like it if some guy came along and kissed my girlfriend." He said. His grip on the steering wheel hardened, while his jaw and body stiffened.

"Well, I shouldn't really be going out with him, anyway. I was warned against it, and he's, like, twenty." I said. I never realized how disgusting that sounded until I said it. Ew! I was, like, 16, and I was dating a twenty-year-old man who was supposed to be a heart-breaker.

"He's twenty?" Fang asked. He now looked slightly confused, a bit disgusted and deadly angry. I shrugged.

"I don't know. We never discussed age. He saw me in the movie theater, gave me his number, and Nudge and Ella made me call him. I went out with him the next day." I said.

"He's _twenty_?" Fang repeated, still not believing his ears. I just nodded this time, instead of trying to explain it all again. Fang was silent the rest of the way back.

XXXxxxXXX

We arrived at the Martinez house, which was pretty big. It was stationed just outside of a smaller town. The lights were on, and it looked cozy and comfortable in the darkness. I saw a little head pop up in the window.

"C'mon, Max." Fang told me, killing the engine, and getting out. I followed, walking up the tiny pathway that lead to the front door. In the front yard were plenty of trees, a fountain, and large parking area.

"Mom, you here?" Fang called. Instead of their mother, a little girl appeared in the doorway that probably lead to the living room. She looked exactly the opposite of Fang and Ella.

"Hey, Angel." Fang said, taking his keys and hanging them on the hooks that were installed into the wall by the door.

"Hi Fang. Who's that?" She asked. Fang walked over to her, picked her up and ruffled her hair. She was looking straight at me, giving me a smile, showing off her missing tooth, but still looking like she was concentrating hard.

"That's Max. She's my friend from school." Fang answered. I waved to her. "Max, this is Angel, my little sister." Fang told me.

"Hi Angel. How are you?" I asked. She was just too darn cute!

"Good."

"How old are you, sweetie?" I asked. She held up her six fingers.

"I'm six years old."

"Wow, you're a big girl, huh?" She smiled at me, blushing slightly. She didn't answer, just wiggled out of Fang's arms and into the next room, giggling to herself.

Ella appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way down. She looked so cute hopping down the stairs, hair bouncing with her.

"Hey Max! So what happened? I never got the full story over the phone." Ella said. She was smiling. I could see the word 'makeover' already forming in her head.

"Yeah, my mom is out and she forgot tot leave the hide-a-key for me, so I needed to call someone. Sorry, by the way, for calling so late. I didn't mean to disturb you guys."

"Oh that's okay! I'm glad you're here! Now I can give you a-"

"Don't you _dare_ say makeover." I threatened. Her mouth instantly shut, and Fang and I chuckled.

"Nick, Ella!" A woman's voice said. Then, the owner of the voice came around the corner from the room that Angel had disappeared into. She had gorgeous brown eyes, long, curly black hair, and a kind smile.

"Oh, hello. I'm Dr. Martinez." She said, flashing a brilliant smile. "I'm Fang and Ella's mother." She looked like them, too! Ella was an exact copy of her mother, except that Ella's hair was straight.

"I'm Max. I'm Ella and Nick's friend." I said, quickly switching from his nickname to his real name.

"Yes, I've heard much about you. Thanks for coming." She said. "Nick, Ella, there is an emergency at the office, and I need to go in. Can you two watch Angel?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course!" Ella said. Fang nodded silently. Of course, silently.

"Yeah! And we can give Max a makeover!" Angel said, as she walked into the room.

**So, I think this is the longest chapter of the whole story so far. It's just a filler, so…yeah, tell me what you think! Also, my new story needs some reviews…so, yeah! Go check it out!**


	15. Cowboy Casanova

**Sleepover time! Also, this chapter, there will be a little more with Sam. And it sounds like you guys will enjoy it! ;) Also, this chapter is dedicated to DEATH waters. (Sorry, honey. I fixed, it though!)**

As soon as Dr. Martinez was out the door, Angel and Ella each grabbed an arm and started dragging me up the stairs. Fang just watched with a smirk playing on his lips and a smug twinkle in his eyes.

"It's alright Max. I own clothes that actually cover you. I have a little sister, for Pete's Sake." She said, grinning goofily at me.

"Well, yay." I said, even though I was mortified. Jeez, my best friends scared me more than Josh and Dwayne!

"Alright, so what type of look should we go for?" Ella asked.

"School girl!" Angel said.

"Yes, perfect!" Ella shouted, running to her not-as-big-as-Nudge's closet. She soon emerged with a white button shirt, black Mary Jane's, and a black and purple plaid skirt. She smiled as she laid the clothes on the bed, then flew out the door. She appeared again a few moments later, carrying a black tie.

"Angel, could you get me two black ponytail holders, and my curling iron, please?" Ella asked ever so sweetly. Angel nodded, trotting off to the bathroom.

When they had all the necessary equipment, they set to work. I was given a minute to change, and then they were all over me. Ella put my hair up in high pigtails, then curled them, making me look like a five year old.

Angel put on some lip stain, which was a beautiful, creamy pink-wait! What am I saying? YEEKS! I have turned into a freaking girl!

When they were done, I looked like Prep School Barbie.** -AN: X)-**

"Oh, Max! You look so cute!" Ella squealed happily. I put on a fake smile and let her make a fuss out of nothing. Ella bent down and whispered something in Angel's ear. Angel nodded, and then scampered off.

"What was that all about?" I asked suspiciously. She just shrugged happily. I sighed, rolled my eyes, and collapsed on the bed.

"Max, get up and stand here." Ella instructed. I cocked an eyebrow, but she sent me a glare and I followed her command. She turned me around so I was facing the back wall with my back to the door.

"Okay, what did you want me to-" I turned around, mortified, to find Fang standing there, silently, mouth hanging open.

"Whoa…" Came his response. Whoa? That was it? Was that supposed to be a good whoa, or a bad whoa? I bit my lip in frustration.

"Well, how do you like it?" Ella asked, spinning me around. I stumbled and almost tripped, but Fang reached out and caught me. Which only made me more embarrassed.

"I think…she looks, um…"

"Yes?" Came mine and Ella's cries. Hers was filled with hope, while mine was filled with horror.

"Well, I think Sam would," he swallowed loudly, "like it."

XXXxxxXXX

The next day, Sam called my cell phone and invited me to dinner at a karaoke restaurant.

"I don't know Sam. I can't sing worth a darn. At least not in front of people." I told him, worried.

"Well, don't worry, Max. You don't have to sing if you don't want to. It'll be fun!" He told me. My face fell at his goofy voice. I had realized last night when Fang had kissed me, twice, that I didn't want to be with Sam anymore.

"Okay, Sam. I'll be there at six o'clock?" I asked.

"Six o'clock." He repeated. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." And then we hung up.

XXXxxxXXX

I decided not to tell Nudge and Ella about the date until after, so they couldn't torture me-yet again- with the makeovers.

I dressed up casual, hair down, blue jeans, an Evanescence t-shirt, black hoodie, and a pair of yellow converse.

I grabbed the car keys and made sure they didn't jingle as I quietly slipped through the front door. The last thing I saw was Lara's sleeping figure on the couch.

As I put the keys in the ignition, my phone vibrated. Nudge.

"Hey, Nudge." I said into the speaker. I heard her enthusiastic voice on the other end, but I couldn't make anything out.

"Wait, what Nudge?"

"Well, we were going to see a movie tonight. Do you want to come?" She asked, a bit slower.

"I'm sorry, Nudge. I can't. Sam and I are going out." I told her.

"Wait. What?" She asked from the other end. "_You are going out on a date, and you didn't tell me_?" She screeched. My eyes widened as her deadly hiss rang out.

"Gotta go!" I said, quickly hanging up and turning my phone off. Anyone else who needed to reach me tonight was outta luck!

XXXxxxXXX

When I got there, I found Sam sitting at a table, watching some guy singing onstage. Sam had ordered two cokes, and a hot wings appetizer.

"Hey!" I said, forcing my voice to be cheery. I didn't want him to be suspicious.

"Hey." He gave me a slow, sexy smile. I slid into the chair across from him, setting my purse down by my feet. I scooted in.

"So, are you going to serenade me?" I asked, giving him a goofy grin. He returned it, then shook his head.

"Nope. I just see this in movies and I think it's kind of sweet. In a cheesy way." He admitted. I nodded, flashing him my pearly whites. At that time, we turned our heads back to the stage. Only to see and entirely familiar and completely unwanted face.

"Hello. My name is Jasmine, and I will be singing Cowboy Casanova. This one goes out to my dear, but stupid friend, Max." She said, giving me a glare, then strumming her guitar. She knew I was here? Was she following me?

_You better take it from me, that boy is like a disease_  
_You're running, you're trying, you're trying to hide_  
_And you're wondering why you can't get free_  
_He's like a curse, he's like a drug_  
_You get addicted to his love_  
_You wanna get out but he's holding you down_  
_'Cause you can't live without one more touch_

_[Chorus]_  
_He's a good time cowboy Casanova_  
_Leaning up against the record machine_  
_Looks like a cool drink of water_  
_But he's candy-coated misery_  
_He's the devil in disguise_  
_A snake with blue eyes_  
_And he only comes out at night_  
_Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_  
_You better run for your life_

_I see that look on your face_  
_You ain't hearing what I say_  
_So I'll say it again_  
_'Cause I know where you been_  
_And I know how it ends_  
_You can't get away_  
_Don't even look in his eyes_  
_He'll tell you nothing but lies_  
_And you wanna believe_  
_But you won't be deceived_  
_If you listen to me_  
_And take my advice_

_He's a good time cowboy Casanova_  
_Leaning up against the record machine_  
_Looks like a cool drink of water_  
_But he's candy-coated misery_  
_He's the devil in disguise_  
_A snake with blue eyes_  
_And he only comes out at night_  
_Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_  
_You better run for your life_

_Run, run away_  
_Don't let him mess with your mind_  
_He'll tell you anything you want to hear_  
_He'll break your heart_  
_It's just a matter of time_  
_But just remember_

_He's a good time cowboy Casanova_  
_Leaning up against the record machine_  
_Looks like a cool drink of water_  
_But he's candy-coated misery_  
_He's the devil in disguise_  
_A snake with blue eyes_  
_And he only comes out at night_  
_Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight_

_Oh you better run for your life_

_Oh, you better run for your life._

**Tell me whatcha guys thought in a…REVIEW! Next chapter will be the good, good chapter. Thanks, to everyone out there who reads this! I appreciate everything you guys have done! You all ROCK! Happy…happy…happy Wednesday! That's it, Wednesday! Alright, everybody, see you soon!**


	16. Outburst

**Alright! SO SORRY! I know it took FOREVER to finally get this up. My mom's computer broke down, and we aren't getting it back. :( So NOW, I have to use my stupid piece-o-junk computer. So, again, sorry! Hope my chapter and all of it's ANTI-SAMness makes up for it!**

**Okay, so there was a question from the reviews!** Netsrik10:** Hey did you write that song? And if it wasn't you then who was it?**

**Netsrik10, Carrie Underwood :)**** She's amazing! Check her out!**

Everybody whooped and hollered as Jasmine exited the stage. Everybody, that is, except for Sam. He had a murderous look that was out of place on such a beautiful, angelic face. His green eyes pierced through the dim light, glaring right into Jasmine's back.

Sam stood abruptly, throwing his napkin to the side. He headed right for the unsuspecting girl, like a predator in his face and walk. I bounded after him, but was slow to reach them.

Sam grabbed Jasmine's wrist, and as she twisted to meet her captor's eyes, he slapped her. Hard.

"Stupid _bitch_!" Sam roared. "Always getting into my business! Shoulda shot you while I got the chance!" He spat, his once attractive British accent now sounding horrid and ugly with all of Sam's cursing. He got in a few more good swings before I could step in.

I tried to get in between them, but it was near impossible. I finally made up my mind and grabbed ahold of his arm. I didn't let go, even when he punched me in the side. Jasmine was trying to pull free with little to no success. The audience was frozen in place. All except for a young man. He stalked forward, his hair falling into his deep blue eyes. **(AN:Don't have my Fang book, so I'm guessing here. Sorry!)**

And boy, was he good looking! More so than Sam, and maybe even Fang. Nope, scratch that. I mean, Fang...MMM _mmm_! That boy..._anyways_!

"Let. Her. Go." Pretty boy ground out. His steely tone and ice cold eyes created an uncomfortable atmosphere, surrounding our little group and the people in the restaurant. Sam obeyed, a twisted look of anger and fear contorting his once gorgeous face. Sam shoved Jasmine into the man, and he caught her, instantly putting her behind him in a protective stance.

"Fine. Have your bitch. I have my own whore right here." Sam said, making a grab for me. I danced out of the way, glaring at the man. He didn't own me! _Especially_ not after that.

"Come here, right now. Or else I'll rip your fucking shirt off." Sam threatened. I just kept backing up, keeping a close eye on his hands, making sure he wouldn't reach for me again.

"No! You don't own me!" I shouted at him. "You're a freaking creeper. You stay the hell away from me!" Before Sam could lunge at me again, the boy grabbed me, throwing me behind him, next to Jasmine. She was trembling, tears coming down her red face. She turned to me and locked her arms around me, tears immdiately wetting my shirt. I awkwardly patted her shoulder, all the while listening to the two men snarl at each other.

"You'd better stay away from them. Both of them." The man growled. He sounded more angry than Sam.

"She doesn't belong to you. You can have the one slut, but Max is mine!" Sam shot back. He tried to see around the man's elbow, glaring at me with cold, hungry eyes.

"She doesn't belong to you either. And apparently, she doesn't like you. So I suggest you keep far away from her. Otherwise, there will be trouble." The guy said. Was he really defending me so thoroughly? Why? I didn't even know his name! I kept calling him "the guy".

"I will be back for her. You can count on that. If I were that bitch, I'd sleep with one eye open." Sam said, then stalked out of the karaoke place. Oh great! Now, not only Josh and Dwayne were after me, but so was a freaking British dude! Next thing you know, Micheal Jackson is going to pop up and start chasing me around the freaking place! **(AN: No offense to Micheal Jackson. He was a great musician. May he rest in peace:'(**

Max, I'll take you back to your home. Or maybe you should stay with somone else?" He proposed. I knit my eyebrows together. Sam didn't know where I lived. But...oh shit!

"No, he doesn't know where I live. The address I gave him was Nudge's!" I said aloud. Jasmine gasped from her spot on my shoulder. She started shaking violently.

"We have to tell Nudge, then." He said, making up his mind, and towing me and Jasmine towards the exit. Still, no one in the crowd had moved an inch. I think they were all in shock. I know I was.

XXXxxxXXX

We reached Nudge's house in a few short minutes. On the way, I learned mystery boy's name. This was Jasmine's Dylan.

"Max, this is it. Should we get out with you?" He asked, staring at me through his mirror. I nodded solemnly. How could I explain this to Nudge? That she was in danger because my psychopath ex-boyfriend decided he wanted to kill me? Yeah, that would go real well.

I attempted to move, Jasmine _still_ at my side, hanging on for dear life. She didn't budge.

"Uh, a little help here?" I asked of Dylan. He smiled, despite everything tonight and came around to remove my new growth. She instnatly twisted around, and attached to Dylan. He sighed, but smiled fondly.

We approached the mansion quietly. We didn't want to make the dogs bark. They were _annoying_, let me tell you! We rang the doorbell, and in the end our efforts were wasted. The yapping started, and I had to rub my temples to clear my head.

"Coming!" Nudge's voice answered. After another minute, she appeared.

"Max? Jasmine? Hey! When did you guys get here? Come in! I'm so happy to see you! It's been, like, forever! And DYLAN!" She attacked him in a massive bearhug. The touching scene ended with Dylan gasping for breath and Nudge's big squeal, which made my head hurt even worse.

"Well, we came to explain. See, Sam..." Dylan started.

"Yes? What happened?" Nudge's face instantly twisted into concern.

"Sam went crazy and freaking attacked Jasmine. I tried to hold him off, but he punched me. Dylan came to the rescue, telling Sam to back off. Sam finally did, but he threatened me. He said 'If I were that bitch, I'd sleep with one eye open.' We came to warn you. You and Anne aren't safe here." I explained.

"What? He _attacked_ you guys?" Nudge asked. She sounded horrified. But not for the right reason. She was afriad for us, not for herself.

"Yes! And you aren't safe!" I tried again.

"Well what should we do?" She asked. "I can't just up and leave! Where will we stay? And what'll happen to Polka and Dot? They can't stay in a hotel with us. Plus why-" She was interuppted by an engine in the driveway. We all froze and listened as footsteps made their way up the sidewalk...

**DUN DUN DUN! Okay, so here is the chapter! I hope you liked it! And if you did, I would be so very greatful if you could just...maybe...review? PLEASE?**


	17. Shockingness

**It smells like FALL!**

**Alright, nothing important today. I'm not going to apologize, because my reason is one of yours! I had school. So, yeah, here's the next chapter! P.S., the acoustic version of "Where the Lines Overlap" is super duper good! Actually, all the acoustics are the best, in my opinion. And the acapellas. And dudes, if you LURVE Jeremy Davis like I do, and everyone else, too, check out this awesome video on my profile. Jeremy does a wicked cool flip. It's beast. So…check 'em out!**

The footsteps ricocheted off the walls, echoing back to us. It made it really eerie. We turned and backed away from the door automatically, doing our best to keep quiet. Dylan positioned himself in front of us, but I went to stand next to him. If he was going in fighting, so was I. I'm not one to let an opportunity like that pass, as you probably know by now.

The doorknob turned, and for a moment everything stopped. Our breathing, heartbeats, and brains. It all quit working.

Then the door swung open to reveal my new hero. I instantly heaved a sigh of relief, and Nudge flew into his arms. Jasmine still looked freaked, and Dylan a bit confused.

"Hey, Nudge." Fang said uncertainly to his warm welcome. He patted her back hesitantly, and then attempted to remove himself from the girl.

"Oh, Fang! Oh, God, you scared me! But I'm so glad it's you! I mean, what would happen if that were Sam? We were, like, totally freaked! That hurt, like, my heart! It's racing and there's a surge of adrenaline going through my system!" Nudge said.

"Whoa, whoa, wait. What happened here?" Fang said, looking to me.

"Well, my date with Sam didn't go so well. We went to a karaoke bar, and Jasmine did Cowboy Casanova, talking about Sam. And that pissed him off. So he got up and started a fight with her. Well, not really a fight. More like he attacked her. She got knocked around. When I tired to intercept, Sam hit me, and then Dylan came to the rescue. But, we realized that Sam didn't know where I lived, because he came to pick me up here both times. So, we were warning Nudge when you walked up. We thought you were Sam." I said, trying to explain everything.

"So, you think Sam's going to come here and hurt Nudge and Anne?" He asked. I nodded solemnly. I was spent, and I wanted to go home and sleep, but I couldn't. Not when Nudge and Anne were here, unprotected.

"What were you planning to do if Sam had walked through that door?" Fang asked, directing his words to Dylan. He sounded mad.

"I would have kicked his ass." Dylan said, hostility leaking into his voice. He had heard the angry tone that Fang had used.

"What if Sam had brought some friends, huh? What would happen then?" Fang inquired. Dylan just shrugged, looking as bored and tired as I felt.

"The same." He replied.

"With a bunch of girls all screaming at the same time? What if a few got around you? What if one grabbed Max or Nudge? What would happen if one grabbed Jasmine?" Fang asked. I didn't know why he was getting all protective. I had known him for a maybe a month, but I'd never seen this side of him.

"Well-"

"No answer for that one, huh? Next time, call someone." Then Fang marched upstairs. Jasmine was crying, so Dylan put his arms around her. She looked scared, tired, and like a total wreck.

I followed Fang, my eyes reflecting apology as I stared at Dylan. He seemed resigned. He put his arms around Jasmine's small, shaking form.

When I reached Nudge's room, I found Fang sitting on the bed, head in his hands. I stopped in the doorway hesitantly.

"Fang, are you okay?" I asked. He raised his head quickly, looking startled.

"Max? Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing up here? Are _you_ okay?" He answered. I nodded, crossing the room and standing in front of him.

"Yeah. Sam just clipped me." I told him. "I followed you. You seemed upset. "What happened back there, why are you so pissed?"

"Just because…I didn't want anything happening to Nudge or…you. You are too important." I must've looked pretty weird in those next few moments. But I was sincerely touched. The next few sounds that were emitted from my mouth were very graceless and totally embarrassing.

"Uh…" I started awkwardly. "Thanks?" Fang didn't do anything, he just stared. I felt my cheeks get red and pivoted, heading for the door.

"Max, wait, come back." He said. I turned towards him, giving him a confused look. He opened his mouth to speak, but looked empty of words. "Never mind."

"No, tell me. Please?" I asked. I wanted to know, but as the words came out of my mouth, I was suddenly scared for some reason. Why, I don't know. But there were butterflies in my stomach. Not the good kind.

"Nothing. Just next time, tell me if something like this happens. I want to know. Like I said, you are just to important."

XXXxxxXXX

We all spent the night, and let me tell you, it was crowded. Nudge and I shared the bed, Fang got the beanbag chair, and Jasmine and Dylan made a lumpy nest of blankets. But we were all happy and content and cozy, despite the reason for the unexpected sleepover.

We played truth or dare, which got lots of laughs from everyone. Even Fang, Mr. Rock, cracked a few smiles.

We gave out secrets, played pool in Nudge's awesome bachelorette-pad-basement, and watched Saw. Jasmine and Nudge had to leave the room for all of the gory parts, which was most of the movie. But I enjoyed every minute of it. At the end, Fang looked at me, kind of surprised-like.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"I'm shocked. You've got guts." He said. I grinned, and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, I'm shocked, too! I didn't know that such a pretty little girl could withstand all of that blood." I told him. Dylan, Nudge and Jasmine laughed, while Fang crossed his arms and pouted playfully.

The night ended late, all of us throwing ourselves into our assigned sleeping arrangements. We were all tired, so everyone was asleep before our heads hit the pillows.

XXXxxxXXX

"Ma-ax. Ma-ax!" Said a low, rumbling voice. I grunted and waved my hand in front of my face pathetically.

"Wake up, sunshine." Said a different voice, this one high-pitched and bright. I slowly fluttered my eyes, and instead of finding a room, I found myself staring into deep, deep obsidian. Infinity. The black seemed to go one forever. I screeched and jumped, making the surrounding audience laugh. Fang moved his face away from mine, chuckling low.

"God, do you guys _have_ to make my life a living hell?" I asked. More like whined. They were still snickering, but Dylan answered me.

"Yup. It's our job." He told me. I gave a humph, and crossed my arms brattily. Nudge skipped out of the room, still giggling like a maniac. The happy couple, as I am now calling them, soon followed, his arm around her waist. Fang left, too, so I got out of bed and walked to the mirror.

I yanked up my shirt to look at the damage. The bruises from Lara were already fading. It was a miracle. But I knew that this was going to change all to soon. Today, I would most likely be heading home.

I ruffled my hair, and let it settle back down onto my shoulders. As it fell in waves, my reality crashed back down, and I walked out of Nudge's room with my gloomy, pessimistic view on life.

**Sorry the end was depressing, but it was what I had to do, so sorry. Also, I have a question. If you have been reading my other story, Over The Horizon, then you may have seen the question posted at the bottom. How old do you think I am? I really want to know, and whoever can guess right, the next chapters will be dedicated to you. Again, Jasmine and Kiki, sorry guys, but no guessing from you! Yup, okay bye!**


	18. Truth revealed in Truth or Dare

**I Love The Way You Lie. ****L Such a sad, depressing song. And Evanescence. Yeah, I love them, too. But Kiss Me and Alligator, they are both upbeat and fun! J Do me a favor and check out everything I just talked about. They are all good. Alligator is a little…different, but I love it!**

**Also, this next chapter is dedicated to the reviewers who got my name right. While most of you guessed 15 or 16. Alas, I am **_**not **_**that old yet. I am 13 J So, thanks everyone for guessing. I may have some more questions for you at the end of chapters, 'cause I like them. XD But this chapter was written for and dedicated to AlwaysWatching, and AutumnMTC thanks, guys!**

**Plus, Silvertounge Shur'tugal was "confuzzled" as to whether or not Iggy was blind…well, he's not. J Since this is an A/H story, they never went to the school, and the brilliant Iggy can SEE! YAY! Thanks for the awesome review, by the way. It was HUGE!**

The day proved uneventful in terms of Sam, but we had more fun. Nudge invited Ella, Iggy, and Gazzy over. This time, we sat and played board games while singing to the hottest new singles.

Nudge, Ella and Jasmine got up and sang California Gurls, while the guys sat there, drooling. The boys (except for Fang)sang to Dynamite by Taio Cruz.

We played Monopoly, Yahtzee, Pictionary, and yet another game of Truth or Dare. All were very unorganized and super interesting. There were empty coke bottles everywhere, candy wrappers strewn about the room. We were on a total sugar high.

"Dylan," Nudge said, getting his attention. "truth or dare?" She asked. He gave a thoughtful expression, looking at the ceiling, then he turned back to her.

"Dare."

"Okay, I dare you to strip down to your underwear, the run around the block twice, singing Hannah Montana songs." Nudge said, an evil smile overtaking her face. Dylan's eyes widened with each word.

"No, that's-"

"Remember my little rule?" Nudge asked. Yeah, the rule she stated at the beginning of the game, no back-outs.

"No, Nudge, you can't do that!" He protested. Everyone else was cracking up. Iggy's face was cherry red.

"Yes, I can, and I just did. Go ahead, take your clothes off!" She said, bouncing up to get the video camera.

Dylan looked mortified, but did what he was told. Soon, he was in his tidy-whities, and we were all blinded.

Nudge bounded back into the room, camera in hands. Then she pushed Dylan upstairs, and though the door. We all followed quickly, making sure not to miss a single moment. Jasmine seemed to be enjoying the sight.

Dylan started with "Best Of Both Worlds," moved onto "If We Were A Movie," and then finished with "Just A Girl." We couldn't keep up with him, but we could hear his voice cracking on the high notes from across the neighborhood.

XXXxxxXXX

After Dylan's little trip around the block, no one else wanted to choose dare. Especially when Nudge was asking.

"Iggy." Jasmine said. "Truth or Dare? As if we don't already know what you're going to pick." She said, smiling to herself.

"Truth, because I don't like that look on you're face. It seems like you're planning something bad." He told her. Her grin grew.

"I was. Just going to have to save it for someone else, though." She replied. "Okay, so Iggy, have you ever looked at someone else's mom naked? And if yes, who?" Iggy's face turned red, but he answered.

"Um…yes?" He swallowed. My eyes widened. Jasmine and Dylan were a bit surprised, too, because they didn't know Iggy all that well. Nudge looked a bit angry, but she seemed to know about it. Fang and Gazzy looked disappointed, but like Nudge, they knew already. Ella appeared bored.

"I was quite the Peeking Tom back in kindergarten. I saw lots of women. But the one that scarred me for life-Ella and Fang's mom, Mrs. Martinez." He admitted. I gasped. That caught me off guard. He had seen Fang's mom? Without clothes on?

"Oh…okay." Said Jasmine.

"Max, truth or dare?" Nudge asked, attempting to change the subject. It worked, and I answered, with "truth."

"Okay, what is one unique thing you are afraid of? That means nothing like fires, spiders, etc."

"Getting stuck in an air vent." I said, immediately.

"An air vent?" Gazzy asked.

"Yeah. It happened in Poseidon, this really cool movie I saw. The girl, my favorite character, Elena, was claustrophobic, and when they went in the air vents or whatever, the water started coming up. It was really intense." I replied.

"Oh, that does sound scary!" Ella said.

"Truth or Dare, Ella." I said.

"Dare, because you babies are too afraid to do it." She said.

"I dare you to sit the next round on Iggy's lap." I told her. Her eyes widened slightly, then she giggled. Ella got to her feet and plopped down onto Iggy, his arms instantly going around her. She kissed his cheek, and a goofy grin came across his face. When Ella wasn't looking, Iggy mouthed "thank you" to me.

"Nudge truth or dare?" Fang asked.

"Truth, please and thank you." She said.

"What is your guilty please Disney movie?" He asked. I gave a short laugh. Wow, where did these people come up with this stuff?

"Well, does the Princess and the Frog count? I think that was my favorite. The songs were fun and the main dude was totally hot. For an animated character." Nudge said. We all laughed, while she frowned at us.

"Gazzy, truth or dare?" Ella said.

"Truth."

"This is two-part. What is everyone's best physical attribute, and then you have to say their worst." Ella said. Ooh, harsh.

"Well, I'll go in a circle. Iggy's is his eyes. They are really pretty. Ella, your hair. Fang, your killer smile, Max…your body." Iggy gave a wolf whistle, and Ella smacked him pretty hard. He didn't seemed too fazed, though. "Jasmine your voice is too beautiful. Very melodic. Nudge, your skin. It's a gorgeous mocha, that no one can compare to." He said, making her smile in gratitude.

"No one except for Dylan over here, that is! I mean look at him, he's a hunk!" Gazzy said, making everyone burst out laughing. Dylan blushed a lot, and Jasmine pretended to be jealous.

"Worst qualities, Iggy, your brain. Does that count? It's just so…ugh. I mean, really, get your mind out of the gutter, and go take a bath! Ella, your height. I like tall women." He said, looking at Nudge. She blushed, and then Gazzy started up again.

"Fang, your eyes. They are too…creepy. It looks like your high, to tell you the truth." Gazzy said. I had to agree with him, even though Fang's eyes were one of my favorite things about him. "Max, your scowl. Now _that_ is creepy." I glared at him. Well, if he had seen my scars…"See?" He then turned to Jasmine. "Jasmine, your face is too round. And although some people find that cute, I think that a heart shaped face is prettier." Dylan had a look of outrage on his face, while Jasmine shrugged. She was a tough girl. She could take the criticism.

"Nudge, nothing is bad or ugly or even remotely ungodly about you. You're beautiful, inside and out." Nudge smiled, and I could swear tears were coming to her eyes. "Dylan your freckles are a bit of a turn off, although we could look past that. I mean, really, your gorgeous!" Gazzy says, and we all laugh.

"Okay, my turn." Said Iggy. "Fang, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Who is the one person in this room you could not live without?" Iggy asked. Fang then looked at everyone in the circle, starting with his sister, making his way around. His eyes finally landed on me, and he mouthed a word.

No, not a word. A name. My name.

"Max."

…

**I'll just let that sit**

…

**-hops away before fan girls rip her apart for the mean cliffy-**


	19. Yet another Author's Note Sorry!

**Sorry guys, about the mix up with Gazzy's truth question. I fixed it though! If you wanna see it, check it out! Also, thanks for the reviews! I mean, 276? It's something I thought I would never reach. And as cliché and cheesy as it sounds, you guys make this story. You keep me going. You keep me doing what I love to do. And without you…well, to tell you the truth I might not be here. So thanks. You guys keep me sane.**


	20. GoodBye :

**All good things must come to an end, I suppose. And being the incredibly crazy and mean, and guiltless person that I am, I have decided that this must too. So, good-bye my kind reviewers. I love all of you. All of you. Thank you for EVERYTHING. It has truly been an amazing experience. One I never hope to forget. So, thanks again. Good-bye. :(**


	21. Um

**HA, HA! YOU SUCKERS **_**FELL**_** FOR IT! I amazed at how gullible you all are. I'm not that horrible! Well, actually I am, for tricking you like that. But anyway, here is the next, well-deserved chapter. ****J**

I tiptoed into the dingy, ugly house that I called my own. I made it up the stairs and into my room, locking the door. As if a locked door would keep Lara from beating my ass. Yet, it still made me feel safer. It would probably give me some time to get out the window.

I fell onto my bed, quietly, and cranked my ipod up, not giving myself a chance to think about what Fang had said.

Oh, Fang! He was just to much! And _I _was the one person who he could not live without? What about Ella, his sister? Or Iggy, his best friend? Nudge, the perfect girl? Gazzy, the cutest boy? Why me? What did I do to deserve such confusion? This was almost worse than a beating from Lara. It _was_ a beating. My brain was beating me senseless. I was, in the most literal term, senseless. And the thing was, I _wanted_ Fang. So bad, I wanted him.

Ugh! Why pick on me, God? Haven't I suffered enough? My phone rung and I checked the caller ID. Oh, God, it was Nudge. I let it ring. Then a text message appeared.

**R u O.K.? **She had said. I didn't reply. **Max? Fang didn't mean it!**

The texts went on and on for a while. Finally they stopped coming all together. I just sat there, replaying Evanescence. My Immortal, Everybody's Fool, Bring Me To Life. Whoops, better not listen to the last one. I switched to Airplanes, B.o.B and Hayley Williams came on, and I relaxed. Then I listened to my Paramore, then Blondie, all my Bangles, through the Eminem, Patsy Cline, and finally Britt Nicole. When She Cries. God, that song was so inspirational.

I put When She Cries on replay and cried myself out. Then, I finally found peace in my sleep.

XXXxxxXXX

The next morning, I dressed up in a plaid shirt, some skinny jeans, and a New Found Glory hoodie.

I grabbed my phone, Ipod, backpack and book report. Then I left before Lara could catch me.

I walked to school, which was only three blocks away. Not to bad, and walking kept me in shape. Fitness was always good.

Classes started normal, other than the fact that almost every class I had was with Nudge, Ella, Iggy, Gazzy or Fang. Most of my classes had several of those people. So I spent the day avoiding most of them. I got to class early and sat with some nerds, then the table was full before someone I knew could walk in. I could tell Nudge was really pissed about that by the way she glared.

Lunch was the same. I went to the other side of the cafeteria, put my hood up, and ate with the Goths.

By last period, I was exhausted, and sat in the back of the room with some particularly preppy looking girls. And Lissa was there. They kept laughing and whispering, while I tried to keep my attention on Mr. Mercer. Drifts of their conversation floated towards me, and I sucked it up, leaning closer to hear the whole thing.

"Yeah, that's her…hangs out…Nick…and Monique…nerds." Then more laughing. Finally they stopped whispering and Lissa turned around, efficiently whacking me in the face with her long, red hair.

"Hi. I'm Lissa. And you're Max, right?" I nodded, very interested in this girl, but trying not to show it. "Yeah. Aren't you supposed to be hanging with Monique and Ella up there?"

"Well…" I said, hesitating. "It's kind of complicated." I replied.

"I see. Aren't you going out with Nick?" She asked. I made an incredulous face, which was how I really felt.

"No! No, no, no! Where did you hear that?" When I denied the question, a slow smile spread across her face.

"Oh, no where. You two were just so close. Guess there is nothing going on between you two. Too bad, you could have been really cute together." Lissa then turned around, and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

**Okay, stopping there, because I have to go make dinner. The next chapter will be up, pronto. Also, if you could do me the biggest favor ever, and go read my other story? I know a lot of you have, but, being the selfish brat I am, I REALLY want more reviews. That story has some big shoes to fill after this one!**


	22. Thanks to Ashamed Reader

**Alright, here's the next chapter. And thanks for those of you who read my other story, Over The Horizon. I really enjoy writing for you guys, and as a reviewer had said, yes, I was being a, quote, "selfish, SPOILED, ROTTEN brat."**

**And thank you, Ashamed Reader. I needed that laugh today. I was actually smiling through both of your reviews. But the weird thing is…both of them were on the last chapter, meaning you had to have read all of my work. No one just picks a random chapter and reviews it. So that means, I must be even a little alright. Even with horrible grammar and a bunch of mistakes, I had to have at least a good plotline, right? **

**Well, anyway, onto the writing. And those of you reading this, be sure to thank Ashamed Reader for putting me in one of my jolly, laugh-it-off moods. Also, Anne Taylor, for helping me out. I think it probably would've become one of those cycles, too. One of those things will probably happen, though. Just one. ****J**

As I walked out of the school building, shuffling and stuffing papers into my backpack, I saw Fang. Standing by my car. Shit!

I walked towards it anyway, because I had to get home. It was raining a bit, drizzling. And even though I loved the rain with all my heart, I wasn't about to walk home in it.

Fang's head swiveled towards me like some freaking bird, and his eyes locked on me. I kept my eyes down, hands busy, so I didn't look ready for conversation. Maybe if I just ignored him…

"Max." Well, there goes that plan!

"Yeah?" I asked, getting my keys out of my pocket. I unlocked the piece of junk that was my car. Its headlights flashed, and I yanked on the ancient handle. It was a 1962 Plymouth Valiant. Something that was more trouble than it was worth.

"I need to talk to you."

"Go ahead." I told him. "I'm standing right here."

"Well, why did you flip out? I mean, I know that was a total shock, unnecessary. I just came out of my mouth. I didn't mean-"

"You didn't mean what?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. Was he really taking it back? Jeez, bad episode of the Nanny.

"I didn't mean to tell you then. I also thought you would've liked me back. I mean, that kiss?" He said. I sighed.

"I do! I like you back! But, I'm just not the kind of girl to get all caught up in that stuff." I said. God, this felt so wrong.

"Listen Fang. I have to go. I have homework, and I'm sure Lara will be worried."

"Lara?"

"Step-mom. My mother left when I was young. My father remarried, then died. I was ten when that happened." I explained. His face held a pained look. He was in pain? Please.

XXXxxxXXX

I came home to a cleaner than ever house. Um…why? I didn't stay to find out, though. Out of pure habit, I flew right into my room. It was still the same as it had always been. Not clean at all. Ha, ha.

"Maximum Ride!" That voice called. I pivoted, turning to find the woman that I hated with everything I had. She was standing right there, in the doorway. She was dressed up in a skirt and blouse, with make-up that was put on hastily. She looked horribly disgusting, with greasy hair and fat rolls everywhere. But I'm sure she thought she looked like a queen.

"Get in your best clothes! There is a man coming over. He's going to look at the house. Tell us what needs to be done."

"Wait." I said. "What?"

"Yes, we are moving. We can't afford this place anymore. We are moving to Oregon or some dump like that." Lara told me.

"What!" I screeched. We were moving to the opposite coast? Was this really happening? I was seventeen, almost eighteen, but still. We just got here. And believe it or not, I loved all of my friends.

"Now get in some clothes before I beat you!" She said. And with that, she left the room.

**Had to leave off there, got lots of homework, yada, yada, yada! BUT I wanted to tell you guys first. Today, off the top of my head, I was made to come up with a story, as was the rest of my advanced drama class. And Mrs. Mock randomly picked me to share. So I did. Apparently she really liked it, and kept coming back to it. Just wanted to say. I love you guys. Thanks for everything. You're always the people that make everything worth while, and I appreciate it with all of my heart.**

**And if you guys ever want to talk, I'm always free. I never have much to do and I always look forward to a conversation. So stop by and we can chat!**


	23. Leaving

**Alright, guys…to tell you the truth, I was quite disappointed. No one PM'd me! Lol, just kidding. You guys were as awesome as ever in your reviewing, if not better! **

**Anyway, being the obsessive person I am, I found something that rocked my socks yesterday. It is something that you have probably never heard of. It's a song called "Plane Crash Dreams" written by none other than our lovely Josh Farro! It's a gorgeous piece, however, a bit on the short side. Please, please check it out!**

**Also, a reviewer pointed out a mistake. Apparently I said that Max had no car, then she magically appeared with one. Lets pretend that that never happened, okay? She has a car, but she only uses it occasionally. It takes forever to start up or something. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDINGMENTATION!**

What was I going to tell Nudge? And Ella? Iggy? Gazzy? What was I going to tell Fang? What were they going to do? How was I going to get out of this?

I grabbed my phone, and began a text.

**Nudge? Meet me the park with you car k?**

Then, I put on some sweats, snatched my backpack, and made my daring escape out the window.

XXX

Nudge found me at the park, and she looked a bit miffed, but she listened with all of her little heart as I told my story. She even braked heavily when I said Oregon.

"You are moving to _Oregon_?" She breathed as the car squealed to a stop.

"Yes, Nudge. To good ol' stinking Oregon. **(AN: Sorry, Silvertongue Shur'tugal! Don't be offended by anything I might say, please! I LOVE Oregon!)**

"What? _What_? All the way across the world? On the opposite coast?" She shook her head, tears rolling her pretty tanned cheeks. Her curly, raven black hair was puffed out and going every which way.

"Not exactly halfway across the world, Nudge." I corrected. She didn't mind me, just kept driving, and trying to dry her tears. She was really bumming me out.

"What is Fang going to say? He's going to hate you for it. Not really, but you know what I mean." She said. I remained quiet, looking down at my shoes.

We arrived at the Martinez house within twenty minutes, which was good timing. Ella appeared in the window, holding a little squirming yellow thing. I realized that the yellow thing was curls. Long, beautiful, luscious curls. The ones that grow from Angels.

Nudge and I got out. Nudge had finally stopped bawling, and fixed her mascara and eyeliner. Her eyes were a bit puffy, but that was the only evidence of the fit in the car. I tried to smile as Angel hopped down from Ella's arms and barreled into my legs, wrapping me in a bear hug. Then, Ella did the same, except around my waist.

I didn't have to pretend to smile. I was already beaming, forgetting everything but these three girls. Especially Angel. You just couldn't _not_ smile when she was around.

Then, a dark figure appeared in my peripheral vision. Fang. I guess he stood in the doorway, arms crossed, just staring as I hugged his two sisters and best friend. I disentangled myself from the happy group, steeled my face, and turned around.

I was met by a pair of strong, hard, well-muscled arms. A hand on the back of my head pushed me into a square chest. Fang was…hugging me?

He let go quickly, and it seemed as though he were just as surprised as I was.

"I'm…sorry. I didn't know what got a hold of me." He said, eyes wide. I just waved it off, answering with a quick, "that's okay." He relaxed a bit, but he melted back.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again, "I was just really…happy, I guess. Happy that you were back." He said really quickly. Fang had never been the fast talking type, but he said it all in just a few seconds, so it jumbled together.

"It's all good." I said, falling back into that easy pattern that me and Fang seemed to have down. I smiled, teeth showing, and felt really good.

"Max." Nudge whispered. I turned around to face her, and I saw her mouth 'tell them.' So, I went and stood in front of the couch, motioning for the small crew to sit.

"Gazzy and Iggy are on their way." Nudge told me. I nodded, deciding to talk about something random until the guys got here.

"So…I'm really sorry, guys. About today. I was just…gathering my bearings, I guess." I said, looking towards Fang. His eyes bored into mine, glossy ebony and pale ivory all the way through. No pupil. Just black on white. I knew he was seeing pretty amber in mine. Maybe a bit of a sparkle. Maybe a hint of sadness. Maybe some secrets.

"It's all right, Max." Ella said, instantly accepting anything I said. She smiled, and giggled a bit. Then, she nudged Nudge and grabbed Angel.

"Um, Nudge come help me make some…popcorn! Yeah, popcorn!" The girl said. She wriggled her eyebrows at me. I narrowed my tired eyes, but that didn't make her stop. She and Nudge and Angel left the room, laving me and Fang there in a totally awkward silence. Then, Fang, being the magical person he is, patted the couch next to him, and all the awkwardness went away. I don't know how or why, but it did.

I went and sat next to him, and doing something that just felt right. I leaned on him. After a second of sitting like that, Fang kind of relaxed and put his arm around my waist. I sighed, closed my eyes, and opened my mouth.

"Fang, I guess I can't say that what you said last night was far off from the way I felt. Am feeling. Because I really, really do like you. You're my best friend. But I don't know about a full out relationship. I just…I just can't trust anyone yet. Not yet." I said. And with all of my heart I wished that he would understand.

"I get it, Max. I was just telling the truth." I could hear a bit of a smile in his voice.

"Wipe that smirk off your face." I said, grinning myself. I looked at him to check, and saw him trying not to smile. Which made me giggle. And that heavy feeling in my heart and the fluttery feeling in my stomach went away. A new type of sensation entered my stomach. Still fluttery, but a good fluttery. The one that I always felt with Fang.

_Shit. I really _am_ falling for him, aren't I? I'm a sucker for a hot guy. _I thought to myself. I sighed again. Then I grabbed his hand and started pulling him up.

I had been in this house once before, but I think I knew which one was Fang's room. I wanted to take him up there so that we could discuss things without any eavesdroppers. I sat down heavily on the bed and let him be silent.

"So, you like me, huh?" He said, smirking again. I nodded, careful not to put any emotion on my face. "Do you love me?" He asked. I shrugged. "Can I just try something?" I nodded again and watched as he walked towards me, bent down, and kissed my cheek.

My eyes went wide. My hands clenched. And my cheeks blushed.

"How did that feel? Good or bad?" He questioned.

Swallowing, I answered, "Good."

"Can I do it again?"

"Yes." I whispered. This time, he kissed my eyelids, gently, sweetly, lovingly. When my eyes fluttered open, I had to look down, he was so close to me. His eyes geld fierce determination, narrowed with a bit of rebelliousness.

"Good or bad?"

"Good." I breathed. He was searching my eyes and I think he was about to lean in again, when Ella called from downstairs, "They're here!"

Fang straightened slowly, then took my hand and helped me up. I was surprised, when we reached the living room, that he had still not let go of my hand. And the warmth was good. Comforting. But still saddening, considering what I was about to tell them.

Iggy, Ella, Angel, Nudge and Gazzy were all seated on the furniture throughout the room. Fang went and sat next to his sister on one of the couches.

"Well. I'm leaving. Moving. To Oregon." I said, looking at my hands. When I moved my eyes to look into theirs, I saw disbelief, sadness, even some anger.

"You're leaving?" Ella yelled.

"To _Oregon_?" Iggy shouted.

"Across the U.S.?" Gazzy whimpered. Even Angel's face was distorted in grief. Fang's face was just doubt. That's it. He couldn't seem to get a grasp.

"Yeah. I'm leaving. Going to Oregon. Across the U.S." I said, then gave a short, quiet laugh, smiling to myself. I myself couldn't even believe the fact.

"Why are you smiling? What sort of a sick asshole would make you move to Oregon?" Ella asked in outrage. She must've been really made to curse in front of Angel.

"My step-mom. Lara Ride. Apparently we can't afford Virginia anymore. So…yeah." I told them.

"How much time do you have? Do _we_ have?" Fang asked, finally speaking up.

"I don't know. Lara was having the agent over when I escaped-uh, left." I said, covering up my mistake. I'm sure they didn't notice. They were too infuriated. All except for Fang, who was just taking it silently. While the others were cursing and crying, Fang was just sitting there, looking terrible.

"Guys, I'm sorry. We still have a few weeks together. Maybe more than that. Lets try and make the best of it, huh?" I said. They all looked at me, their eyes reflecting the feelings I had felt. I knew I couldn't live without them.

How could I not?

**Alright, so there it was. Feel free to leave comments. Also, be sure to check out that Paramore video!**


	24. UhOh Spaghettios!

**MWAHAHAHAHAHA! I HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD! No, just kidding. But, I HAVE gotten my uber supportive and oh, so loving friend Carl to read this! FINALLY! She(yes, Carl is a she) was SUPPOSED to read this EONS ago, but forgot. Then, I bugged her enough that she remembered…yup, go CARL!**

Nudge offered to let me stay the night with her. She didn't even ask about Lara. Just said yes automatically. We drove to her house in silence. When we pulled into the driveway, she smiled a watery, nose-dripping smile at me, then turned the car off. I tried to smile back, but it was only half-hearted.

"Anne is going to be sad. She really, really liked you. Like loved you. She likes Ella and Fang and Iggy and Gazzy, but she loved you. She said you were special or something." Nudge told me as we trudged up the winding walkway.

"Really?" I asked. Nudge nodded, not looking at me. Her face was depressed and gloomy looking, her eyes not able to focus, it seemed.

Polka and Dot started barking and yipping. Nudge opened the front door, and the dogs pooled around us. Dot jumped up on my legs, scratching my bare skin. But the pain wasn't felt. I was too numb. Polka stretched, then licked my hand, getting me to pet him. My face lifted into an automatic smile.

The dogs ran back inside, Dot chasing Polka, who grabbed a toy, and tore up the stairs. Anne appeared from behind a corner, ghosting in with her angelic face, pale skin, and light-blonde hair. She grinned in delight, and gracefully wafted over to hug me.

I put my arms around her neck and inhaled her sweet, calming scent, and let myself melt into her, escaping into happy and more pleasant thoughts.

We let go, but Anne kept me at arms length and stared into my eyes lovingly. I did the same and saw a tiny twinkle.

"I'm making some hot chocolate. Would you like some?" She asked. She looked and sounded like something out of movie.

"No, thank you. I don't need any sugar. I get really hyper." I told her. She grinned again, and kissed my cheek in the sweetest, calmest way possible. Then she turned around and floated back towards the kitchen. Then, she turned to tell us something.

"Tonight, I'm going over to friends house to stay the night. Nudge and Max, you guys can stay here, but be good, okay?" She said. We nodded, and she started back towards the kitchen.

"C'mon, Max." Nudge said, taking my hand. I followed her up into the room I knew so well by now.

"What do you want to do?" She asked as I sat on her bed. I held my pounding head in my hands and searched my mind for something that would be fun for the both of us.

"I'm really tired." I said, trying to muster a smile. " My head hurts like crazy. It's pounding, and each one is stinging."

"Oh. Oh, okay. Good, I'm tired, too. Okay, good." Nudge said. Climbed into her bed, and I into mine. We had actually gotten a sofa on the ground for me, since I was over so frequently, now-a-days.

It was really comfortable and warm, friendly and inviting, and very cozy, so of course, like they say the movies, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

XXXxxxXXX

I was awakened in the middle of the night by a ping. Nudge was snoring very softly and feminine. If snoring can ever sound feminine.

There was another ping, like a something hitting glass, and I scanned the room, my eyes coming to rest at the window. That's when another rock hit the window, making that awful sound. I felt my heart swell. I couldn't tell if the person outside was good or bad, someone I knew or some stranger. So, crept to the window, and peered out.

My eyes widened in horror at the sight of it, and I let out a horrendous scream. There _he_ was. With a knife. Sam.

Nudge was by my side soon enough, but I kept screaming. Then, the screeches turned to "Ohmigod's" and then just hyperventilating, Nudge asphyxiating next to me.

Sam gestured with his knife to his throat. The universal symbol for _you're dead_. Me and Nudge flew back from the window, and even from behind the thick glass, I could hear my psychotic ex-boyfriend cackling. Then it stopped and all went quiet.

"Oh my God! Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod!" Nudge said. I heard a clambering coming from the stairs. He was _inside_.

I jumped up, raced across the large room, and locked the door. Then, just as I was finishing, I felt a weight on the other side. He was right _there_.

I backed up slowly, silently, and bumped into Nudge, who grabbed my arm with a death grip. The fumbling with the door continued. Nudge then whispered something so low that I almost didn't catch it.

_Dumbwaiter._

We made our way to her closet, where the dumbwaiter was hiding. I remember just a few weeks ago, although it seemed like years, we had been searching for something and found it, hidden in the corner behind a shoe rack, that was lost between literally hundreds of yards of clothing.

The door handle had stopped jiggling, and there was an eerie silence. Nudge tapped me and pointed to me then the dumbwaiter. _You go first, _she motioned. I shook my head with determination, then pushed her towards the thing. She frowned, but nodded.

As Nudge climbed into the hole, I heard the doorknob again, and instantly felt the adrenaline rush through my veins.

Then, as I was lowering Nudge, I heard that creepy noise that you get from movies. The ones where the door opens so slowly that it goes though, like, three octaves. Then, the door clicked shut, and a lock was turned.

_Sam was inside! _My thoughts scrambled, and I almost lost a hold of Nudge, but I just crouched lower and kept dropping. There was no way that boy could find us in these miles of clothes. It was impossible. But then, so was the chance of him being here. Shit.

Nudge hit the bottom, climbed out, and wiggled the rope, so I knew she was out. Then, I pulled the thing back up, and wondered how I was going to get down. Would Nudge be able to somehow keep my safely aloft?

I slowly slid out my phone, and muted it. Then, sent Nudge a message.

**U cant hold me. Ill meet u in da basement. Den, we run to da woods n call 4 help! **I knew Nudge kept her phone on vibrate, thank God, so she wouldn't be heard. I knew Sam was still in her room, maybe even in her closet, right now.

**How will u get down here? **She asked. I could just see the fear in her big, deer eyes, her hair flying as she looked around, skittish like a rabbit.

**Dont worry. Jus go!** I shut my phone, and peeked around a large pile of clothes. Sam wasn't in that aisle. So, I crept down the small hallway of clothing. It was the one closest to the wall, so the one least likely to creak under my feet. I learned that the farther out in the middle of a room you get, the more likely it is to groan.

So, I darted down the aisle, my eyes darting from side to side, my breathing heavy, skirting the room. I knew I would have to make a wild dash to the door, because when I reached the end, there would be nothing but empty space between the clothes and Nudge's room. Then, I heard the tell-tale creak. Sam was in the closet. In the middle of the room, which made a long distance between me and him. Thank God.

I could just slip out the doorway and go through the bathroom, which was right in front of the stairs. Then, meet Nudge in the kitchen, go down to the basement through there, out the cellar doors, and into the woods. Perfect, fool-proof plan.

Then, right before I could start tip-toeing, Sam appeared, knife in hand, angry look on his face.

**Alright stopping there. You'll have to wait! Muhahahaha! Sorry, this is really late, by the way, but I've been having some bad luck in the past few weeks, and I'm running on about two hours of sleep per night. So suck it up! HAHAHA! Just kidding, but I'd really like it if you could check out my youtube account. Especially my Sunday, Bloody Sunday video. I think you'll all enjoy it, and I would LOVE Some more views.**

**The link will be on my profile for anyone who wants it. It will say "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" in blue, and that's it! You just click on it, and voila! You're there. Anyways, BYE!**


	25. Yeah

**Over The Horizon! It needs to be updated! But, I got a couple threats for this story, so I decided to update ONCE MORE. But the threat that really disturbed me was the one about Carl. O.O Apparently someone was feeling a little…murderous today?**

**Also, there WILL be some more adult themes in this chapter. Language that most people shouldn't use, but do anyway. Maybe something worse, too… I'm feeling juvenile :)**

Sam's eyes locked on me, and his expression turned from disbelieving to calculating to gleeful in about thirty seconds. I could've used those thirty seconds to my advantage, but instead, stood there like a deer in the headlights.

Sam lunged forward, and that was when my brain finally started to move. I scrambled out of the way as he barreled into the clothes rack. Good thing is, I bought myself some time. Bad news, I was further from the door. Shit.

I flew back down the aisle of clothing towards the dumbwaiter, and buried myself in clothes, trying to get through to the other side. Sam started clomping down after me, so I dug faster. I finally broke free, but Sam hand wrapped around my ankle. I kicked him square in the jaw, and jumped up. I sprinted for the door, and ended up in Nudge's room. I had to get to the bathroom.

Sam rounded the corner, knife held up in anticipation. I locked my eyes on him, and backed away towards the bathroom door. I held my hand out for the knob as I watched him advance on me. He thought he had me. Ha! My eyes reflected playfulness. He didn't know I could get into the hall through the bathroom. Probably didn't even know it was a bathroom!

I had reached the knob and twisted it, but didn't open it just yet. I waited as he kept stalking forward slowly. Then, just as he was raising his weapon, a look of disgusting pride on his face, like he just caught a prized animal that was worth millions, I threw the door open and pivoted towards the hallway door.

I grabbed at the doorknob and yanked on it. But it didn't budge. I jiggled the doorknob again. Shit, shit! It was locked! And Sam was coming! Crap, crap, crap!

"Didn't expect that, did you, honey, dearest?" Sam said in a slithering voice. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck and froze. My eyes widened, but I didn't turn. I was caught. We both knew it.

He grabbed a handful of my hair, knotted it around his hand, and then whispered in my ear "You don't know how long I've waited to fuck you. But now, I might just fuck you up. Or…_both._" Sam said. Then, he kissed me neck and I gritted my teeth. I tried to twist away, but Sam pressed the knife to my throat, and gripped my hair tighter.

"Yeah, that's a good idea…" Sam pushed me onto the floor, and took the knife away from my throat and poked me in the stomach with it's sharp tip.

I laid down on the floor and I closed my eyes, trying not to think about what was going to happen. So, I only _heard _the clang, and then a thump as something hit the floor. I didn't open my eyes. I knew he was just getting me anxious. But when I felt warm hands pull me up, I was confused. But even more so when I was pulled into a large, comfy, _familiar _chest. I breathed in a scent I knew and loved.

"Max." A deep voice murmured in something that sounded like a cross between horror and relief. But even though the emotions were alien, the voice was one I knew.

"Fang?"

XXXxxxXXX

"Max!" Nudge screeched as I limped out of the house, Fang holding my waist for support. "You're okay! Ohmigod! I didn't know if you were dead or hurt or if you got caught or something happened to you. Ohmigod, I was so freaking worried. When you didn't come down into the basement, I thought something must be up, but I didn't know what to do! And then I called Fang, and he came. He must've broken a few traffic laws, because he got here within five minutes. I told him where you were, and he went up and got you. But I was down here, worrying my _ass_ off!"

"Sorry, Nudge." I said, as we hugged awkwardly. Fang still didn't let go of my waist, so It was kind of a half hug. I was glad, though, because I was sure I wouldn't be able to stand up. Apparently I had cut myself really bad while trying to get through all of the clothes. And I was tired, too.

"What did you do with Sam?" She asked anxiously. Her hands clasped together right above her heart, a tick she got when she was scared.

"Well…Fang knocked him out good, and we tied him to your bed with some really strong rope. Fang has his knife, and there is a big lump on his head, so he'll be out for a while. After we get upstairs, we'll watch him closely until the police show up. You should probably call Anne, too." I told her.

Nudge nodded, pulled out her phone and dialed the number. She turned her back to us, and put her finger in her ear to block out the noises coming from the surrounding forest. We waited there, but I couldn't think. So I just let my messed up brain shut down.

I felt something weird, almost like a vibrating feeling. I looked up at Fang, who didn't take his eyes off of the house. I realized, against this firm, stable man, that I was shaking. I was violently trembling. The adrenaline had long since left my body, and I was tired, but I couldn't stop myself. And suddenly, without warning, I did something I had never allowed my self to do: I burst into tears.

Fang looked down, his hawk-like eyes analyzing me. He knew I didn't cry. He knew I was a survivor, and that I didn't have petty weaknesses. He looked so concerned, but I couldn't help myself. The tears just came and came. I turned body into the boy that I had gotten so close to, and wept, soaking his chest. I couldn't stop.

XXXxxxXXX

The police arrived just as Sam was coming to. He threatened me many times, as the police were trying to talk to him. He wouldn't answer them, just kept yelling at me and Fang and Nudge.

"Pretty boy can't always save you! And they can't always keep me locked up! I _will_ be back, Max! And you can count on that, you good for nothing whore! I'll get you!" He shouted, and then started laughing in a creepy tone. Fang and I just stared on, my hands on his chest, his around my waist, and laced together tiredly.

Anne arrived just after the police, running out of the car and into the arms of her adopted daughter. She looked so happy to see Nudge standing there, whole. I knew my step-mother would never be that way. She probably would've slapped me for calling the police in the first place.

Before I could think more about this, Anne jogged over to me, and ripped me from Fang's arms. She hugged me in a iron-tight embrace, and sobbed on my shoulder. Then, just like she did Nudge, she looked at my face, checking my bruises and cuts. When she saw I was fine, she did something even more unexpected.

Anne turned around to where a very taken aback Fang was standing, and slid her thin angel arms around his slender stomach, and into his tall frame, she whispered "thank you."

**That's all for now, folks! I'm tired, and it's 1:52 in the morning. Be happy that you're getting this. **

**Also, to thank you all, I decided that I will give song suggestions out to those of you who have nothing better to do, namely Carl. :)**

**I've researched a FANTASTIC song called The Con by Tegan and Sara, and if you guys don't listen to it…then…then…you all suck! Just kidding, but seriously, I want to hear all of you in the reviews with comments about that song!**


	26. Airplanes

**Hey guys…Sorry about the long-ass wait. I've been trying to come up with some kind of vague but still pretty cool chapter to pick up with on OTH. But unfortunately, I have nothing! So, please, **_PLEASE_** PM (private message) me, and give me some ideas!**

**Also, a reviewer, or some reviewers asked questions so here is Answer Time with the flock!**

_**: Are Max and Fang together, or almost just together?**_

**Nudge: Oh, maybe! Gotta keep reading.**

_**Blank: Is Max still gonna leave?**_

**Max: Well, I sure like your name better than the last one…-grumble grumble-**

**Iggy: ANYWAY…another maybe on that one. Maybe she will leave. Or maybe this will be like every other flipping fic in the fan fiction community…**

**Fang: Sorry, Iggy's a bit bitter today.**

**Iggy: Yeah, because someone decided to do some interior decorating!**

**Angel: I told you sorry!**

_**EmpressOfSarcasm: Wait, does this mean you are discontinuing the story?**_

**Gazzy: NO! She is not discontinuing it! Are you?**

**Fanged: No! No, no, no! No…sorry. I'm keeping this one going!**

_**Queen Sarcastic: Do you like Hey Monday or Avril Lavigne?**_

**Fanged: Sorry, Avril Lavigne isn't really my style…**

**Fang: Yeah, a bit whiny.**

**Fanged: And I haven't heard Hey Monday. I'll check them out, though! Also, Tegan and Sara are amazing in my book, but I understand they aren't for some people. Not your taste, huh? I get it. Alright! Back to Secrets Unkept!**

Today was the day. I stood in my living room, holding my one suitcase as Lara ate a last minute snack.

I had already wrestled all of her trunks into the car, somehow getting them all to fit and still making a small space in the back for me.

Big Mac got shotgun, because, apparently, he's more important than me. But oh well. I'd rather sit and mourn alone than up front with my fat, evil stepmother.

"Maximum," Lara said, with a mouthful of crumbs. "Time to go." She said.

I had already said my good-byes to my friends the night before. Nudge, Ella, Angel and Anne cried a whole lot, while Iggy and Gazzy stood awkwardly to the side. Fang was being a rock, standing in the doorway, looking like the Angel of Darkness in all black. His expression was dark as well.

"Max…" Nudge started…and for once, she couldn't speak. She just gave a strangled cry, and turned into Gazzy's chest. He hugged her anxiously.

"Bye, Max. Maybe we can Skype or something…" Iggy said. He stepped towards me, and we fell into a really clumsy embrace. Then we stepped apart.

Ella moved towards me, her tiny body and long black hair a blur as she sped over. She threw herself onto me, and tangled herself in. Then she cried. It took Anne, Iggy, Gazzy and myself to pry her off, then she clung to Iggy and sobbed.

Anne and Angel hugged me at the same time, and burst into tears. I gave Fang a help me look, but he didn't crack a smile. There would be no grins tonight. It was a grave time.

As soon as the girls stepped away, though, the black figure descended upon me. He didn't hug me or cry like the others. He only heaved a sigh. I decided I would have to go to him.

When I reached the Rock, my pillar of sanity, I held him to me so tight, I wasn't sure how he could still breathe. He wrapped those toned arms around me. Then, before I could stop it, a tiny tear escaped my eyes. I sniffled and then we parted.

It hurt so bad.

XXXxxxXXX

Lara and I rode to the airport in silence. I grieved in the back, letting the tears fall, not caring about anything else. Big Mac meowed occasionally at me, but I hissed back at him.

I looked at the picture I found in my jeans from last night. Apparently, when Ella had been attached to me, she had slipped a photo and a note into my pocket. The back of the photo said,

_Mall with Max, September 29__th__ 2010_

I smiled at it. It was one of me not paying attention, a small frown on my face. I was grumping in it. I remembered that time. I was angry because Nudge had taken me into Claire's to look for earrings, while the boys went into Hollister. Of course, I couldn't go.

I reread the note, careful not to let my salty tears smudge the words.

**Dear Max,**

**I know you're leaving and all, but I wanted you to go with something that reminded you of us. We'll be reminded of you always. But I don't want you to forget about us. We're not the coolest people to hang with, and you could've been a lot more popular without us dragging you down, but I hope we were okay in terms of friends. Please, just remember that nothing can change the time we spent together, and we will ALWAYS be friends, 'kay? IM me sometime.**

**Your BFF,**

**Ella**

_Oh, Ella, _I thought.

XXXxxxXXX

We arrived at the airport with very little time to spare. We had to sprint through the halls, and it was fun watching Lara gasp for air like a fish out of water.

Big Mac had to be shipped into another part of the plane, and Lara was terrified to let the animal go. I tried to soothe my stepmother, telling her we had to go.

The gate was full of people just standing there, waiting to board. The flight attendant stood out there with her hair in a perfect bun and a white smile ready to go.

"Ma'am?" I asked. She looked at me, and flashed her pearly whites wider like I was the biggest, best birthday present she could've received.

"Yes, dear?"

"What time does the flight for Portland, Oregon depart?" I asked.

"In about 20 minutes, dear." She responded. I nodded. I told Lara to sit for about five minutes, then we were up to board the plane.

Lara and I had the most stuff, so it took a while to get everything organized in the seats. But soon, Lara was napping, snoring away, and I nervously fidgeted around with my fingers. I decided to pacify myself with a movie while I was waiting for us to get into the air.

I didn't notice any of the other passengers walking by my seat. Well, not until one actually walked past, then backed up.

"Are you Max?" He asked. He was about my age with pimples and glasses. His hair was messy and greasy. Total nerd, and totally not my type.

"Yeah, what's it to you? I'm not interested." I told him immediately. He frowned, but shook his head.

"No, no. There was some guy looking for you outside the gate. He showed me a picture. It seemed really urgent." The guy told me.

"What did he look like?" I asked, ready to spring from my seat. I was sure I looked horrible, and if it was one of my friends, then I'd be totally embarrassed later, but right now, I had to talk to him.

"Really tall and very…dark, if someone can look dark." The boy said. I shot up, and slung my carry-on over my shoulder. I bolted off of the plane, throwing a quick "thank you" over my shoulder, that I hope he caught.

"Fang? Fang!" I shouted. I didn't know which way to run, so I just decided to try further up. I sprinted, leaving a trail of pretty miffed people behind me. I pushed men, rushed women, and practically ran over children.

"Fang!" I yelled over and over. I kept going, as if my life depended on it. Then, I saw a clearing. I was nearing the back of the airport, now. I hadn't found him yet, and I was starting to lose hope.

"Max?" Came a deep voice from behind me. I spun around, and looked into His eyes. Fang. I plummeted into him, wrapped my arms around him, and pulled his face to mine. Then in the most clumsy, embarrassing way possible, I kissed him, long and hard. And miracle of miracles, he kissed me back.

"I thought you were gone forever." I said against his lips.

"Me too." Salty tears were running down both of our cheeks, making our little canoodle unbearably sweet. I was sure that everyone was watching us, but I was to relieved to care.

"I just wanted to see you one more time. I couldn't let you leave me without seeing you one more time." Fang told me. I gave a short laugh. I had felt the same way. But how could we ever be apart, now that this had happened?

"And…I wanted to give you this." Fang said. And got down on one knee.

**Alright…so, I'm EVIL for this little cliffhanger, BUT I wanted you alls' consent before Fang actually popped the question. We'll have a little poll here. Majority rules, no exception.**

**Question: Should Fang propose to Max?**

**No cheating, please!**

**Northshore by Tegan and Sara. This one is normal, I promise! C'mon guys! All of ya's love Paramore, so trust me on this! It's a hard rock song :)**


	27. My Everything

**Alright, guys. Most all of you voted and it's pretty clear that the answer is yes. BUT there WILL be a twist, without all the "fluffy happiness, sunshine and rainbows." Also, a reviewer gave me the idea and opportunity that I needed, but I won't thank the reviewer just yet, because then he or she will know and maybe more of you will, too. ALSO, this chapter might to be REALLY, REALLY short, just a heads up. Like **_**four paragraph long **_**short. SO…**

**P.S., thanks, Nano Byte, for reading. But I don't watch CSI ****J**

To tell you the truth, I was a little relieved when Fang stood up, and instead of a ring, he had a simple silver chain. Even though it was quite humble, it was still gorgeous. Attached to it was a tiny ruby heart.

"Max. I…like you a whole lot. I always have. And before you left my world, and turned everything of ours into a gray cloud, I wanted to tell you that. I wanted to add some color into your gray world. Maybe it will make things easier if I know I haven't let you go without _anything._" Fang told me. I gasped.

"Max, can I put it on?" He asked. I nodded, speechless. I twisted my wavy hair up into a golden-brown bun. He went around to my back side to connect the clasp ends. I was crying again, out of happiness, and I had a headache from all that was going on. I didn't care, though.

Fang tightened it so that it was the perfect fit. Not too long, not to short. I could admire it, and it wouldn't be hidden by my shirt.

I jumped slightly as I felt something unexpected. Fang's lips touched the nape of my neck in a soft kiss. The sharp inhale of breath by my ear surprised me even more. He was…smelling me? I gave a short, sticky laugh. I was a total mess.

"Max?"

"Yes?"

"We should get you back to your plane. They are probably going to be leaving soon." He said unhappily. I hugged Fang, then grabbed his hand and slowly started back toward my gate.

"Ma'am?" I asked, talking to the lady that I had earlier. She smiled, standing behind the podium. She looked bright and bubbly, but her eyes were analyzing me. She knew she had seen me before. Or was she going crazy?

"The doors to flight 22, Portland Oregon. They're closed." I stated. She nodded.

"Yes, they actually just departed." She informed me.

"Shit." I cursed under me breath. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I turned back towards Fang. I shrugged at him. "They left. Lara and my all my shit was on that plane."

XXXxxxXXX

Fang and I sat in his black Mercedes, just enjoying each others company.

I wasn't really miffed or sad or angry with the way things turned out. I was glad Lara was halfway around the country. At least for now. I knew I would have to endure her "motherly love" sooner or later.

"Listen, Max. I'm not-"

"Good with words?" I questioned, supplying his ending. Fang gave me a soft smile and nodded.

"Yeah. Exactly. But I really did mean what I said. I do like you. A lot." He told me. "I might even love you. I don't know. I never really felt this way. As cheesy as that sounds."

"I feel the same way. So is this asking me to be your girlfriend?" I smirked at him, but I knew he would see a little twinkle of hope in my eyes.

"Yes. I guess so."

"Well…" I sighed. I was about to do something out of character for me. "I suppose that entitles me to do this." I leaned over and started a kiss. It felt good on my already swollen lips. Even when I tried to pull away, he kept the embrace of our mouths alive.

Pretty soon, his tongue ran the outline of my bottom lip, and with a slight moan, I granted it entrance. I felt his hands run up and down my sides, creating friction, warming me right down to my core.

Fang disconnected our lips and started a trail of soft kisses down my neck. He lightly nibbled on my collarbone whilst I ran my hands greedily through his midnight colored hair.

Fang lifted my shirt, and although I wasn't about to protest, I was happy when he didn't pull it up higher than the bottom of my ribcage. Fang's mouth hovered over my taut stomach skin, his eyes locked on mine. And without breaking that contact, he mouthed my tummy in a way that made me go absolutely nuts.

_Nothing can possibly go wrong…_

"Shit! Max, what the hell is this?" Fang shouted, startling me. His firm, yet scared voice bounced off the walls of the car. Fang was pointing to my stomach, clad in scars and healing bruises. It actually didn't look so bad. I had been avoiding much of Lara's fits in the past few weeks. But the puckered skin had a sickly glow to it in the fading sunlight.

"I…fell down the stairs." I said, quick to use the already handled excuse.

"No. You said you fell down the stairs three months ago! Nudge told me. And falling down the stairs wouldn't give you all this! What happened? Tell me the truth." Fang growled. He looked really angry and I tried not to show any fear.

"I…I-"

"The truth."

"Nothing. Nothing happened." I said, not looking into his dark, obsidian eyes. If I did, they would break me.

"Max…" He warned.

"Why can't you just leave it alone?" I snapped. He was driving me to the edge. "I said nothing, so just let it go! Drop it! It's none of your business, anyway!" I said. I was close to tears now. I heard Fang sigh.

"Max, it is my business. I love you. I want to protect you. I'm worried. Has…someone been doing this?" He asked softly. I nodded, wiping furiously at my eyes. "Who?"

"Lara. Since I was eight. My mom left, and she married my father. When my dad died…she started drinking, and blaming me for everything. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. So I let it happen." I said, staring at the setting sun. It was almost gone from view, and the moon was already out.

"Oh…Max." Fang said, pulling me into a tight hug. I hung onto his muscled arms. Tears ran out of my eyes, and I cried silently, for fear of being seen as weak in front of Fang. He was everything. My rock. My sanity. My very life.

**Alright, not as short I would've thought. I'm proud for getting this out so quickly! Anyway…song…song…OOH! Dog Days, by Florence and the Machine. Great music, weird video! O.O Watch and report! And REVIEW!**


	28. Just The Way I Like It

**Alright…question time!**

**Lonewolfrox642: PLEASE IF YOU CARE FOR ANY REVIEWS PLEASE UPDATE BEFORE FRIDAY**

**Fanged: Why? What's happening on Friday? Grr, I hate being out of the loop.**

**No other questions? Hm…except for some that will need to be secrets till you actually READ the chapter! **

**Anyway, at last count, I have received just over 530 reviews. And all I can say is…wow. You guys are freaking amazing. I tell you this a lot, but it is so true! Love you all. Especially Miss J, over there! -points out over the horizon- Wish I could be there with all of you guys!**

Fang and I drove over to Nudge's house. We had called her before the whole car scene, telling her everything. She offered to have me stay at her house, use her clothes and stuff until I got mine back.

"Are you going to tell her?" I asked Fang. He was still a bit angry about the whole thing, although he promised he wasn't mad at me.

"I thought you were going to."

"No. I'd hate to see her face crumple up. Ella and Nudge are just to fragile for this." I said, shaking my head.

"Well, they'll have to man up. The boys, too. They have to know, Max. You can't keep secrets for forever." He said.

"I know."

"Good." Then silence. The rest of the ride was silence.

XXXxxxXXX

As soon as we pulled up, Nudge shot out of the house, leaving the door wide open. She flew into my arms ad grasped me tightly, like a very important paper that she had caught right as the wind was ripping it out of her hands. The dogs danced around our feet, Dot scratching at me, waiting impatiently to be picked up.

"Max! Oh, God." She exclaimed, not letting me go.

"Uh…hey, Nudge."

"Come in! Anne was so happy to hear that you're staying with us. She got real excited." Nudge told me, leading me into the familiar house.

"Nudge I have something important to show you. You, Ella, and the guys." I said. She nodded, her face suddenly showing concern.

"What, Max?"

"Fang?" I asked.

"Ella and the boys are on their way over." He reported, closing his dinosaur of a cell phone. I nodded, telling Nudge to wait. We all went up into her huge room. The last time I had been here, Sam had tried to kill us. I shivered as I walked through the door.

"I know, right? Creepy. I'm real glad Anne hadn't sealed up the dumbwaiter. When I told her about it, she said we had to get someone to cover it up. Thank God we didn't, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah, Thank God." I was content. Nudge was rambling again, just like old times. Fang's arm was around my shoulders, and I was in my safe house. The place I could always come to, always be welcomed in.

Ella and Iggy walked in, hand in hand, and Gazzy climbed the stairs for his lady. We all rendezvoused in Nudge's room, sitting in her bean bags and talking about everything that had been going on. Everything was calm until Nudge clambered up.

"Oh, my God! What is that?" She asked, eyes sparkling. I looked down. She was pointing to my necklace.

"Oh…a gift."

"From who?" Ella wondered, leaning forward, mouth open, expecting something juicy. "Is he hot?" She wiggled her eyebrows. I laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you could say so." I grabbed at Fang's hand, and he kissed my cheek. I blushed. That was enough answer for the girls. The screamed and fell over themselves, trying to reach me.

"Really? You guys are really together?" Nudge asked. I nodded. I was sure, that I was now the color of cranberry juice.

"YES!" Ella shouted. She and Nudge did a high-five, then went about inspecting my necklace.

"It's ruby!" Ella exclaimed.

"It's silver!" Nudge cried

"It's love!" They screamed together, falling dramatically to the floor. The guys were all laughing, and I was miserably trying to get the normal color of my face back.

Remind me again, why I let the plane leave without me?

XXXxxxXXX

Two days passed quickly, and Lara didn't call once. She must've known what happened. But did she care? No. Did I ever expect her to care? Again, no. I was happier without her.

Because of my "unfortunate" event, I wasn't excepted back into the school. They had already thought I was going to Oregon, so they had transferred everything of mine over there. So, I just stayed home with Anne.

To Anne, I was a second child. She fed me, clothed me, and even asked if I'd like her to read a bedtime story. She always gave me her specialty, Chicken Soup. **(AN: YUMMY!) **She fussed over how tall I was getting, how skinny I was, and how I had better not go off with Fang-or any boy for that matter.

"I know you two are in love, and everything, but do what's good. And if you ever do plan to…you know…make love-"

"Anne!" I exclaimed.

"What? I just want you to be prepared, honey!" She said, pulling me into a hug. However embarrassing she might be, she was still the closest thing to a mom. And I loved her.

Everyday, the gang came over after school. We would all hang out, talk, play pool, or just sit around, enjoying each others company.

Iggy was the only one even close to beating Fang at pool. Other than me, of course.

"I'll whip that arse of yours someday, you big oaf!" He kept saying, reminding Fang. Fang just nodded and let him talk, although we knew he could never outplay the Fangster.

"Iggy, don't be stupid." Ella said. You couldn't beat anyone at anything." She said. She was filing her nails in the back corner, smirking to herself.

"You wanna bet?"

"Yeah, lets bet."

"Alright, come over to my house tonight. We'll see who comes out on top."

"Iggy…" Warned Fang. He growled low in his throat, and even I cowered in fear. Fang could be really scary when he wanted to.

"Alright guys. Pizza's here!" Nudge called, when the doorbell rang. There was a stampede down the stairs, as the boys and girls fought to reach the door. After Nudge paid the man, we got plates, napkins, and three huge bottles of soda, and headed to the den.

"Lets watch the Prince of Egypt!" Ella cried as we all settled down.

"No, a scary movie." Fang said.

"Yeah, Nightmare on Elm street!" I begged.

"Ooh, nice choice." Gazzy commented, throwing the CD into the player. We all sat there, girls watching intently, men hanging onto their women for dear life. It was one big happy family. Just the way I liked it.

**Alright, a filler, but I got it out today! Hoped you liked it!**

**I've decided that because this chapter was sweet and nice, I wouldn't put the scene where Max showed the scars. I'm in a good mood, lets keep it that way! But, it DID happen!**

**Song: Interjections, by School House Rock! Awesome song. Interjections show excitement or emotion, hallelujah, hallelujah, HALLELUJAH, YEAH!**

**Alright, after that rather gorgeous solo…any ideas for new chapters will be appreciated. I'm out!**


	29. Sweet

**PARAMORE LOVERS, THIS IS IT. Paramore has just made a new video! I REPEAT! PLAYING GOD WAS MADE INTO A MUSIC VIDEO! **_**Yikes, I started CRYING when she hugged Jeremy. Oh, how I loves him!**_

**Anyway, I was all hyped up on that, **_**and**_** the fact that Hayley's hair is now an AMAZING shade of HOT PINK!**

**So go watch it, and if you don't, I'll hunt you down and MAKE YOU! Yes, that means you Carl. And don't be mad at me, either.**

After telling my friends about the Lara thing, I felt a huge relief lifted off my shoulders. And with the Holidays coming up, that was important. I could now just sit down and enjoy my little family.

Fang and I were now officially together, and God, it felt so GOOD! We got to hold hands and hug and kiss once or twice and-_crap_, I was turning into a girl! Anyway, it was sweet.

XXXxxxXXX

One Tuesday night, all six of us went out together on kind of a triple date. We went to the Olive Garden where "everyone is family," and it sure seemed like it. It was amazing. Even the waiter seemed to be having an awesome time.

We left around six-ish and it was just getting dark. We decided that since everyone was off for the week, we would go to the park. It was the same park where I actually started having feelings for Fang. Or where I found out, anyway.

On the way over, Nudge and Iggy entered a heated conversation about Justin Bieber, and the whole "shaving his head" issue. Iggy said that he would look horrible, but Nudge argued that he would be cute and could still sing either way.

"Yeah, like a girl." Fang scoffed. We all laughed except for Nudge, whose cheeks got all red. Iggy agreed with Fang, and so did Gazzy and I. Personally, I think he should just jump off the edge of a cliff and be done with it. Maybe, then, the world will once again be in peace.

We stopped at the park and each couple went their separate ways. Iggy and Ella went into the playground holding hands, Nudge and Gazzy walked towards the trees, chatting quietly, and Fang and I started off towards the furthest corner of the park, with his hand around my shoulder.

Once we got there, I laid down, pulling Fang with me. Before he could ask what I was doing, I pointed up at the night sky.

"See that?" I asked, pointing up at the sky. "That's Polaris." I said. He followed my finger and looked up, watching the brightest twinkling light in the heavens.

"Mmm, Polar Bear." Fang licked his lips, which, in turn, made me crack a smile.

"Polaris is the North Star, smart one. And you're not still hungry?" I asked. Fang nodded, next to me, and I laughed. And to prove it, his stomach made a nasty gurgling sound.

"He talked." I said, pointing to Fang's tummy.

"Yes. He likes you."

"Good, and I'm actually kind of hungry, too." I said. I sat up on my butt, looking down into the midnight eyes I loved. The reflected the stars, and looked like skis of their own.

"Good thing I brought the leftovers. I knew this was going to happen." He told me, sitting up himself. He held out the box of spaghetti, two plastic forks in his hand.

"Wow, you're prepared, aren't you?" I asked, taking a fork. I twirled it elegantly-totally not my usual style, but whatever-and picked it up.

"Yes. I know we both eat like hippos, and I thought it would be cute to eat out. Like in Lady and the Tramp." He said. I smirked as he swallowed a huge meatball.

"Thanks. It's so romantic to be called a hippo." I said. Fang took my hand, and all was forgiven as we gazed at each other, ever so often taking a bite, or feeding the other.

Pretty soon, my bladder got the best of me.

"Fang…is there a little girl's room anywhere near here?" I asked. Fang's eyes danced in knowing, a smile playing on his lips.

"I thought you would be old enough to have gone by yourself before we left?" He said, cocking a black eyebrow.

"I didn't have to go then!" I whined. Fang flashed his famous smile, and I couldn't help returning one.

"A bathroom…well, the closest is down the street, take a right, and walk down to the Chinese restaurant." He told me. I nodded my thanks, and hopped up, jogging across the street.

"You want me to come?" He called after me.

"I may not be old enough to know when to go, but I can wipe by myself, thanks!" I said. With that, I continued down the road.

I stopped inside the Chinese place, and was greeted by God knows how many people. I asked "bathroom?" and a kind old woman pointed to the back.

"Thanks!"

XXXxxxXXX

When I was done doing my business, I decided to stop inside a book store that I passed on the way up. Even though I'm a trouble-maker, I was a total geek when it came to books. I texted Fang, telling him I'd be out in a few minutes.

**HB, its dark n I don't want u out 2 long. I get worried!**

**Ok, brb, promise! **I texted back.

My hands roamed over the books, looking for a good one. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, Twilight, Maximum Ride, Harry Potter series.

Finally my eyes settled on one. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Iggy had recommended it to me after one of the Saw movies. He gave me a brief summary and I was totally hooked.

I paid the cashier, giving him $12.95 for the paperback version, wished him a goodnight, and then walked out into the chilly November night.

It wasn't until they were right behind me that I noticed their fowl stench tainting the air.

**Alright, enough for tonight. And if you HAVE NOT watched the video, I suggest that you'd better…or ELSE! Dun, dun, DUN! Have a nice day!**


	30. Awkward

**Hey guys! I'm back! I MISSED YOUS! But, I was only gone for the day…anyway…**

**When I returned home from a most DREADFUL day at school, I found a surprise in store for me. Normally, I despise such things, but this one was spectacular! 576 reviews? Oh, goodness me! That's a lot!**

**Did you understand any of those big words in there? I sure didn't. O.O Just felt like trying to be smart! Okay, so read, and review.**

**P.S., thank you guys, to all of you. I was just watching a Paramore video, where Hayley lost her voice in Decode, and couldn't perform the next two songs. So Josh got everyone to sing as loud as they could on Misery Business. She watched from the side stage, and had tears of love and joy pouring from her eyes. I feel the same way about you guys, and I know you all would be so kind as to do the same thing for me. I really do love you all.**

**Sorry for rambling. Just had to get that out of my system.**

"Well look who it is! Little Miss New Girl." Said an awfully familiar voice. I knew I had heard it from somewhere before, but I couldn't place it. But it was still horrifying.

"Hm, whatcha got there?" Asked another voice. This one having a slight accent. Shit! That's where I heard them before.

"Listen here, dorks, you touch me and I'll smack the shit outta both of you without so much as breaking a sweat." I warned, grinding my teeth together.

"Trying to scare us away won't work. This time, your boyfriend ain't here to save you." Said Dwayne. I turned around, and spit in his face.

"I don't need a boy to protect me. The only thing you scum are good for is shooting practice." I growled.

"Did you just spit on me?" He asked in a disbelieving tone.

"I believe I did." I told him, tilting my head and smirking. I gave him one of my angel smiles, batting my eyes, looking innocent, taunting him. Dwayne slapped me. He'd have to do a lot worse than that, though.

"Save it Dwayne. Once we get her outta here, you can do whatever you want to her." Josh whispered, trying not to let me hear.

"Oh, I'll be doing a lot worse than that, sweet cheeks." He said. "And you'll like it, too."

"Please." I scoffed, turning myself around and starting to walk again. I forced myself to be calm, because running would get me into more trouble if I was caught. Plus, they didn't need to know that my heart was pacing and squeezing with fear on the inside.

"Hey, come back here, bitch!" Josh said, grabbing a hold of my shoulder.

"Get off of me, asshole." I told him, voice harsh enough to scare off a wild bear. His grip loosened for a split second, but then tightened again. His other hand slapped around my mouth. He pulled my against him in a vice-like grip. Then, he brought a thin piece of metal to my throat.

"You make a peep, and I'll slice your throat right open." Josh whispered in my ear. "Understand?" I nodded against his hand, and he let my face go. But then, he wrestled me into an alley a few feet away.

Then, before I could wonder what he was about to do, he yanked at my shirt, and pulled it right over my head, exposing all of my skin except for that covered by my black bra. And that went next.

Josh's hand held me in place by closing around my throat. I could barely breathe, let alone scream. _Fuck_, was all I could think as Josh's hand flew north.

Josh's hot mouth latched onto mine, kissing me sloppily in anticipation. He somehow slipped his tongue into my mouth and I gagged. I didn't bite it or knee him for fear of being carved up on the spot. Dwayne was near, watching us, ready with the knife.

My arms pushed uselessly against Josh's chest, but I think he took that as a good sign and moaned. His thighs held mine against the wall, and I felt something hot and hard touch my hip.

Suddenly, there was a loud BUZZ sound. My phone was vibrating. Josh and Dwayne didn't notice. If only I could reach it, text Fang.

Josh's hand stopped touching me, and fell down to his zipper.

"Uh-uh!" I grunted against his mouth. But he kept going, his eyes closed in pleasure, eyebrows knitted in eagerness. But he pulled back.

"What, you don't like this?" He asked, revealing himself to me. I screwed my eyes closed, but not before catching a nasty glimpse of him. He captured my hand and placed it on his manhood. I squeaked and immediately drew away.

"What the fuck? No, I don't like-" He cut me off by digging a thin switchblade into my side. Damn, two knives?

"Max!" Screamed a voice coming from the end of the alley way. His voice was so captivating, we all had to look over to him. Yes, him.

"Let her go. Now." He said. With the streetlight at his back, you couldn't see the evil glare on his gorgeous face, but you could sure feel it. Let me tell you.

"Hold on, dude. Just wait your turn. You ca have after we're done." Dwayne said, a smile lighting up his tone. He was joking. He thought other men would actually do this. Just pick a girl off the street and rape her in some random alley way? Men better not do this.

"No, drop her. Night fucking now, jackass." Fang said, pointing at Josh. Josh's expression changed from disbelief to teasing. He dug the knife in harder and I whimpered.

"One step closer and her kidney's gonna be out on the sidewalk." He said. Fang stopped dead in his tracks. "That's right, big boy. Now move back." Fang did as he was told, taking a few strides backward.

"Alright, now just go back to where you came from. If I see you again, she'll be dead before you can blink." He said. Fang didn't nod, didn't move. Just stood still. Josh pointed the tip into my side a little harder, drawing a moan of pain from my lips and a well of blood from my skin.

"Alright, that's it!" I said. Ever since I'd told my friends about the Lara incident, I'd promised them and myself that I would never let anyone push me around like that again. And I wasn't going to break my promise.

I pushed my knee up into his exposed manhood, bringing an _OOF! _from Josh. I slide out from between him and the wall, picked up my shirt and bra, and redressed myself, keeping my back to Fang. Then, I took the knives from both of the boys, who just stood there. I pranced up next to Fang, handing him Josh's switchblade. I tried not to let him see just how shaken I really was.

**Alright, now that was really awkward on my part, but someone said that rape would be a twist, and I didn't want to do a FULL rape, because that'd be weird. And now, I don't think I'll ever be able to show my face again. Alright, see you. I'm going to go drown myself now.**


	31. Lovin' The Love

**Alright I'm back. Carl called me…and told me she read my chapter. My face got all hot and now, I don't think I can ever show my face again. I'll be in hiding for the rest of my life…yup. Hope you guys are happy! Grr…**

Fang and I returned to the park without a word. He stormed ahead and trailed behind, like a puppy dog that wanted forgiveness from her master for peeing on the floor.

Fang had been all for killing them, or at least calling the cops on them, but I objected, telling him we needed to get back to the others. He followed my regretfully, snarling at the two boys.

"Fang? I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Excuse me? You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong. But them…I can't believe I let them walk out of this!" Fang said, and then sniffled.

"Wait, are you…?" I said, catching up to him. And seeing that, in the dim light, two trails of water cascaded down his face. His eyes were red.

"God…Fang." I said. I didn't know why he was crying, but I knew I had to console him. I had to. I pulled him into a hug, burrowing myself into his deep chest, and putting my arms around his tight waist. He hugged me back, pulling his hands through my hair, smelling me, whispering sweet, calming phrases into my ear.

"Max. Oh, God. They didn't do anything to you, did they? If they did, I'll never forgive myself. But I've got you now. I'm never letting you go. I promise. It's okay. You're such a brave girl. Shh, shh." He said, rocking us back and forth. I believed him, too. I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me.

"C'mon, Fang, we have to get back to your sister." I said, pulling out of the embrace. He settled for my hand, which he smoothed and massaged with his thumb, rubbing light circles on my skin.

"Fang, Max!" Nudge shouted as she saw us round the corner. I knew what she was seeing must be a shock. Fang's screwed up face, my messed up hair, and a bit of blood on my right side, my shaken expression. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's good." I said quickly. Nudge gave me a look, but backed off. She slipped her arm through mine and hugged me.

"Okay…" She said.

"Hey guys. We were looking for you. Where have you guys been?" Iggy asked, jogging up. His strawberry blonde hair bounced as he did, and he looked cute, like a little boy.

Gazzy and Ella came up behind him, laughing and chatting. Ella smiled knowingly as she saw her older brother's hand in mine. Gazzy walked over to Nudge, kissed her on the cheek, and winked at me. I grinned, and started walking towards Nudge's car, Fang and Nudge in tow.

_Thank God Fang had been there tonight. _That was all I could think as I plowed forward.

XXXxxxXXX

"Hey guys!" Mrs. Martinez said in her gorgeous Hispanic accent. She was one of the prettiest women I had ever seen, with her frizzy, glossy black hair, her lightly tanned skin, and her beautiful, beautiful golden eyes.

"Hey Mom," Fang and Ella chorused as she kissed their foreheads. Ella hugged her mother, and Fang just let Valencia do it.

"Hi, Mrs. Martinez." I said, offering my hand. She analyzed it for a moment, then threw her head back and laughed merrily.

"We aren't very formal in this house, if you haven't noticed." She told me, and pulled me into a bright hug. As soon as she let go, I was bombarded by Angel throwing herself into my arms.

"Max!" She cried in that pretty, melodic voice that only small children seem to have. Her eyes lit up as she saw Nudge.

"Nudge! And Gazzy!" She said, hugging them, too. Nudge was overjoyed to see the little child, happy to find someone almost as enthusiastic as herself.

"Alright, jus leave me out. I'm nobody." Iggy said, looking hurt. She hurdled herself at Iggy, and right away, I knew they seemed to have a special bond.

"You know I was saving the best for last." She giggled, embracing him, choking him with her skinny arms. He picked her up and held her tight, spinning her around. She laughed with joy at the sensation of flying though the air.

"Can we please play tea party?" She asked, picking up a random stuffed animal that must've been discarded on the floor awhile back.

"No, Ange, let's hang out with the big kids, okay?" He asked. She gave him a look I knew well. One she must've learned from Nudge.

"Oh, no! Not the bambi eyes!" Iggy screamed, and pretended to cower in fear. Then he ran behind Nudge, wailing.

"Iggy, we have to! You promised last time. And I won't make you dress up this time. Please?" She asked. I knew he couldn't refuse her. No one could. Just like Ella, once she asked you twice, that was it. No going back.

"Oh, alright." He said. She screamed in delight and grabbed his hand, towing him up the long flight of stairs. We all giggled, watching the two blondes walk together.

"Alright, so what do you guys wanna do?" Ella asked. She skipped into the living room. We all followed.

In the end, we all just talked. We frequently heard the squeaks and moans coming from the floorboards as Iggy and Angel played upstairs. Sometimes we heard child's laughter and knew that they were having as good a time as us, if not better.

We covered many topics that night. And everyone of them reminded me that no matter what, I was surrounded by people who loved me, and who would _always_ love me.

**Alright, and with that, I bid you good night!**

**Song of the night is: Imagine by the Glee cast, or the original by John Lennon. They are both fabulous versions, although I happen to prefer the Glee version. The scene is just breath-taking when they perform with the school for the deaf. ****J**

**Also, hope that makes up for last chapter!**


	32. My Life Would Suck Without You

**Alright, I beg you, pull up another page and go to my profile. Click on the Dark Come Soon button, and listen to the beautiful song. Any real music lover would be a huge fan of this song, and this group. Don't be lazy, either. All I ever do is ask you to review. Now, I ask you, even if you don't want to review after this, to listen to the song.**

_Dark, you can't come soon enough for me  
__Saved, from one more day of misery  
Everything I love, get back for me now  
Everyone I love, I need you now  
Don't forget a million miles for me  
Safe and another day can pass by me  
Everything I'd love, get back for me now  
Everyone I'd love, I'd need you now  
(So what?)So what? I lied  
__I lied to me, too  
(So what?)So what? I lied  
I lied to me too  
(So what?)  
Hold out for the ones you know will love you  
Hide out from the ones you know will love you  
You, you too  
Hide to the edge and back, be there  
Slow to make my move, I'm almost there  
Everything I say, I say to me first  
Everything I do, I do to me first  
(So what?)So what, I lied  
I lied to me too  
(So what?)So what, I lied?  
I lied to me too  
Hold out for the ones you know will love you  
Hide out from the ones you know will love you  
You, you too_

_Dark, you can't come soon enough for me_

I listened to the gorgeous melody of the singer's voice melt from the air. She had just played one of my favorite songs, Dark Come Soon acoustic, so it was especially pretty. The emotion in her voice, the expressions on her face, and just the lyrics all created a sad atmosphere. But it was so pretty. Any music lover would be instantly attracted to this song.

"That was Tegan and Sara?" Fang asked from behind me. I turned around and nodded. Fang and the rest of them had made fun of me for my obsession with the Canadian twins. They wouldn't even give them a chance. Maybe because Tegan and Sara were lesbian, maybe because the gang was lazy, or maybe because with my constant chat about them, they had already decided that my love was enough for the all of them. Maybe because they just didn't want me to say "told you so."

"Yes. Tegan and Sara. They have great lyrics. Great sound. And the modernized mullets are pretty darn amazing." I said. Fang smiled and walked in, sitting on my bed with me. He grabbed my hand.

"You wanna go out tonight?" He asked. I grinned and nodded. "Okay, good. Be ready at seven. The table is reserved for seven thirty."

"You already reserved it? What if I had said no?" I asked.

"I would've dragged out there anyway." He replied, shrugging. I laughed and got up to get dressed. I pulled my shirt over my head and down to my elbows. Then I noticed Fang still sitting there, just staring at me.

"Do you mind?" I asked, no doubt pulling him out of a dirty fantasy.

"No, no. Go ahead. Oh, oh yeah, right." He said, and then got up. When he reached the door, he blew me a kiss. I shooed him out, and then finished with undressing.

XXXxxxXXX

Around seven o'clock, I was ready. Fang picked me up on the dot, and we set off for a place unknown. By me, anyway.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"No where in particular." He said, turning the speakers up a bit. We were listening to his Ipod, and the Beatles popped up. _Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical, science in the home…_

"C'mon! Tell me! Please?" I asked.

"Nope. I'm sorry, but it's a surprise. And a nice one at that." Fang said, and smiled fondly to himself. So naturally, being the immature brat that I am, I started asking.

"Are you taking me to a movie?"

"No."

"A restaurant?"

"Nuh-uh."

"The mall?"

"Nein."

"Tell me!" I said. Then, I crossed my arms and pouted. He chuckled darkly, but didn't break. Finally, though, we arrived.

"The karaoke place?" I asked. It was the same place Sam had taken me. The night I figured out he was a horrible person. The night he almost hurt Jasmine.

"Yup. There is a surprise waiting for you inside the restaurant." He said, leading me towards the door. At first I was a little hesitant, but I decided Fang would be there if anything went wrong.

"Alright…" I said, unsure.

We walked in, and I was almost run over by a tiny brunette figure. No, not Ella or Nudge. Not even someone from school. Nope.

"JASMINE!" I shouted. I hadn't seen her in so long! And Dylan was here, too, looking rather cute. He smiled at me, white teeth sparkling.

"MAX! Surprise!" She exclaimed. Then, she skipped back and grabbed ahold of Dylan's hand. She grinned at me and her pretty brown eyes glittered in the dim light.

"Hi Max." Dylan greeted. He stepped forward and we hugged. It wasn't the least bit awkward, like you'd think. But it was nice. Dylan was warm and smelled good, but I still wasn't the least bit attracted to him. Fang was the only one for me. And I'm sure Dylan felt the exact same.

"Hi Dylan. So is this a double date?" I asked. Dylan and Jasmine looked at each other, an unexpressed humor floating between them. Jasmine smiled, then looked back to me.

"No, not exactly." She said. "We have a gig here tonight. It's the one day that a band plays instead of people getting up to sing. Happens every Friday, and we've been waiting for it for a few weeks now.

"You and Dylan?" I clarified. She nodded.

"We haven't exactly written any songs yet, but we have practiced ones by really good artists. And I think that if we can get signed into a record company, we can make it." Jasmine said, confidence radiating off of her.

"I know you will. You are seriously amazing." I said in all honesty. She beamed at me, and then dragged Dylan away, waving to me. I shook my head. She could be such a SPAZ!

"You're friends are pretty cool." Fang said, hands in his pocket. I nodded.

"They aren't just my friends. Your sister and Nudge introduced us. And then, I found out that Jasmine used to date Sam…"

"That douche-bag." Fang stated. I nodded in agreement.

"So, to dinner?" I asked. Fang grinned and offered his arm. I looped my hand through his, and we set off. We sat down at the table and we ordered some dinner. We ordered a pizza to share and watched while Dylan and Jasmine set up.

"Alright, guys. Almost done here." Jasmine said as she switched the amps on. "Okay, thanks for sticking around during that." She said, smiling. The audience stared, some of them with enthusiastic smiles on their faces, some with disgust on their faces, like they had been dragged here by a no good, lousy friend.

Naturally, Fang and I were part of the first group.

"Okay, so this first song is called Halo, one of my personal favorites." She said and beamed. Instantly the whole atmosphere shifted. She was just so cute, people couldn't _not _love her.

Jasmine had a gorgeous voice, and we ate in total serenity. Me and Fang even kissed a few times.

"This next one is called My Life Would Suck Without You, by Ms. Kelly Clarkson. This is dedicated to anyone who has finally found that special someone." Jasmine said, smiling at Dylan. He started up the melody, letting the sweet music float around the room.

_Guess this means you're sorry  
You're standing at my door  
Guess this means you take back  
All you said before  
Like how much you wanted  
Anyone but me  
Said you'd never come back  
But here you are again  
'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly,  
My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you  
Baby I was stupid for telling you goodbye  
Maybe I was wrong for tryin' to pick a fight  
I know that I've got issues  
But you're pretty messed up too  
Either way, I found out  
I'm nothing without you  
'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
__And honestly,  
My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you  
Being with you  
Is so dysfunctional  
I really shouldn't miss you  
But I can't let you go  
Oh yeah  
'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly,  
My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you  
'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly, _

_My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you_

**Alright, so more words than most chapters, but a lot of it is music. I like adding songs, though, because it shows you what kind of music I like and what my personality might be. Anyway, I got it out FINALLY, so love me! HAHA, just kidding.**


	33. Anyone Else But You

**Alright. Let me just say that I ultra super proud of you guys for checking Tegan and Sara out. Most of my friends wouldn't even give them a chance, unless I DRAGGED them over to my computer to watch. And even then, I still didn't have their full attention. Anyways, thanks, guys.**

**Also, by the way, for those of you childrens that liked the Tegan and Sara song, I now have a little section in my profile where you can actually go and find links to more songs that I would recommend. There is one on there that was in Scooby Doo, so go check 'em out and I'll love you forever!**

**Nano Byte: Sorry, must've missed that. My fingers just type on their own sometimes, and I rarely read over the work I post. XD I will fix it, though! Promise!**

Fang and I walked out of the restaurant feeling great. I was probably glowing from all the love I had been receiving recently.

"Thank you so much." I said, standing on my tip-toes to kiss his cheek. He bent down a bit, and when my lips brushed his skin, he turned his head so it ended up on his smooth lips. He coiled his arm around my waist, and his other hand cupped the back of my neck. I smirked against Fang's lips, and his eyes narrowed.

"Hold up." I said. "I wanna play a game first." When Fang gave a moan of protest, I giggled quietly. Stupid boys.

"What could possibly be more fun than this?" Fang asked, staring at me in a "hurt" way. He gave me a pleading look, and I waved him off. I disentangled myself from him, and walked around to the back of him. Then, my fingers crawled up his shoulders and straightened the collar of his light jacket. Then, I stood on my toes, and jabbed one of my fingers into the small of his back.

"Tag." I whispered, and I was pleased to see the shivers go throughout his tall body. "You're it." I said in a voice I hoped was a bit seductive. Fang moaned again, but this time it definitely wasn't in complaint.

I skipped nimbly out from behind him as he tried to capture me in his arms. But he did get a grip on my wrist. I pulled out of it, and started jogging away. I looked back for him, because I hadn't heard any sound of pursuit, but when I gazed over, he was gone.

"Shit!" I said. Fang could be anywhere. And what's worse? He was in camouflage: dressed in all black. I smiled playfully and fled towards a random direction, trying to run away, but secretly hoping I would run into him. Secretly hoping he would catch me and then we would have to play his game.

I ended up in another part of the parking lot. With a lot of cars. I looked out, and spotted a dark figure on the horizon. **(AN: See what I did there? XD) **Fang.

I quick, ducked behind a car, my heart racing for no apparent reason. Maybe just because I was simply in the presence of my beloved.

"Nice hiding place Max." Fang said. Then his hand reached around my waist, and he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Hey!" I giggled. "Put me down!"

"You know, Max, you'd never survive a horror movie. You can't hide worth a darn, and your light weight, so you can be easily picked up and thrown around. Easily confined. Also, even though you're definitely a fighter, you're too soft. Plus, the blondes always die first." He said, a smile in his voice.

"Hey! I may not be some Valley Girl, but blonde is still my hair color. Don't insult us!" I said, although I felt no offense in this particular joke.

"Alright, well sorry, hon." He said, sarcasm dripping in his voice. Then he yanked the door open and dropped me into the backseat of the car. He smiled to show he was only playing. I frowned, and growled playfully.

"My turn to pick the activity." Fang said as he hopped into the drivers side. I nodded enthusiastically. Yes, it was his turn. And it better be something good.

"Come here." He said. His voice was suddenly a bit husky. Deep. Rough. Sexy. I scooted closer to him. Soon, I was on his lap, and crooned as he pet my hair, and I breathed into his chest. Then. He stuck his fingers under my chin, and pulled my face up to meet his. We kissed passionately, sparks flying. His tongue laced my lips and, when I let it through, danced in my mouth.

I let his hands wander over my body. Up and down my sides, over my stomach, down the length of my legs. His face moved down to my neck and started a trail of kisses from there to my collarbone. There, he nibbled on my shoulders, sending jolts of electricity throughout my body.

This was perfect.

XXXxxxXXX

On my radio again. Listening to the best. Song. Ever! Fang was sitting in the chair across the room from me, watching me get ready. We were going out with the gang. Hanging at the mall, Fang had said.

_You're a part time lover and a full time friend  
__The monkey on you're back is the latest trend  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train  
I kiss you all starry eyed, my body's swinging from side to side  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_Here is the church and here is the steeple  
We sure are cute for two ugly people  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me  
So why can't you forgive me?  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_I will find my nitch in your car  
With my mp3 DVD rumple-packed guitar  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_Du du du du du du dudu  
Du du du du du du dudu  
Du du du du du du dudu du_

_Up up down down left right left right B A start  
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_You are always trying to keep it real  
I'm in love with how you feel  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_We both have shiny happy fits of rage  
You want more fans, I want more stage  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_Don Quixote was a steel driving man  
My name is Adam I'm your biggest fan  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_Squinched up your face and did a dance  
Shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

_Du du du du du du dudu  
Du du du du du du dudu  
Du du du du du du dudu du_

_But you..._

"Another Tegan and Sara?" Fang asked. I laughed and shook my head.

"Nope! This was a band called the Moldy Peaches. They're really good. They actually had a lot of songs on the Juno soundtrack."

"Really? The Moldy Peaches?" He asked, screwing his face up.

"It's a weird name, I know. But they're weird people. And weird people are always the most fun. That's why I hang out with you!" I teased. Fang smiled.

"The song speaks my feelings clearly." He said.

"I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else." I quoted, my voice going weak.

"But you."

**Alright, I'm done for now! Hope you liked it, because it took a while to get out. And THANK YOU to anyone who bothered with the song. It really is amazing. And Tegan and Sara are not only fantastic musicians, but fantastic people, too. They are aiming to make the world a better, easier place to live in. Not only for women, but also for gay people. They are trying to achieve what Lady GaGa wants, only in a quieter, less sexual way…O.O**


	34. Yes

**Okay, guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in, like, FOREVER, but a lot of shit has been happening to me in the past few weeks. First of all, my Mom and Dad are getting a divorce. Second, my therapist (basically) is moving. So, I'll be without someone to talk to. Which is not good for me.**

**Also, I started a zombie novel. I really like the concept of the whole thing, and I think if I can stick with it, I can get it published. I hope, anyway.**

**Plus, I've been under huge amounts of stress because of my friends. I know they are all completely PISSED at me, and I hate it. And I HATE my sister. So…**

**Not to mention, CHRISTMAS is on the freaking way! YAY! So, yeah, that too.**

**Mix it all together and you get one BIG, STRESSED OUT FANGED.**

**So, I'm just going to take a break for a while, okay? Sorry, guys, But I WILL continue. I promise. Cross my heart.**

**Also, please PM me. I love you guys. I love to talk. I have problems, you have problems. Lets all solve each others problems, okay? That sounds fun. Let's do it!**


	35. Whoa?

Well, guys…sorry I've been incognito for so long. :))) I've had a LOT going on. First, the frustrations with everything I mentioned last chapter. Second, we got a new computer.

**It hates me. No. Freaking. Joke.**

**We have three accounts on it, and the Internet works on two. My mom's account. And my sister's account. When they're on their accounts, the Internet works. When I'm on their accounts, it doesn't.**

**Anyways, then, I had my play. :)) I was Dr. Creon, the mean ol' hag of a principal. :DDD**

**So, now, HOPEFULLY, I can get back onto a decent writing schedule.**

**To the story! Hope you don't mind a little steamy scene…**

"Fang…" I started, hopefully somewhat seductively. He didn't turn to face me, but I knew he was smirking at the T.V. show he was currently watching.

Nudge had recently bought some new P.J.'s for me, and this was the first time I had really seen what they look like. They were some booty shorts, and a very thin tank top. I had my hair in a messy bun, although I had really played with it for some time before it looked messy enough.

I had some mascara and a thin sheath of eyeliner that was leftover from the day before, so it was faint, but really made my eyes pop.

Nudge and Ella had also given me a manicure and a pedicure the night before, in hopes of getting a comment from Fang.

Fang's head slowly, but surely rotated around to meet my figure as I strolled towards the couch. I confidently (although I was completely self-conscious and had no confidence whatsoever) laid myself out over his lap, and tried not to grimace. He cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Fang and I had been a lot more affectionate in the past few days. He and I were closer than ever, I suspected. And I was trying to be more of a pleasing girlfriend to him, rather than a grumpy, prickly old bear.

I brought my face up to his, and hesitated over his lips, waiting for him to make the next move. I looked into his midnight black eyes, the very eyes someone could get lost in.

I didn't have to wait long. Fang seemed rather impatient. He brought his lips greedily to mine, and closed his eyes in rapture as my hands came up and grabbed a hold of his glossy black hair.

I pulled away slowly, keeping my breathing even. He gave me a pleading, questioning look, and it was all I could to do not to smash my face against his again, and never end out passionate kiss.

"Would you…like to finish this upstairs?" I asked, gesturing with a bob of my head. He nodded, and I disentangled myself from his lap. Then, I somewhat sexily ran my hands through my hair, and started to bounce across the room, up the stairs.

I looked back to see Fang, following quite excitedly.

We soon arrived in what had become my room.

My bed was made, courtesy of Anne, and my clothes had been thrown in the hamper. Somehow, she managed to clean up after and keep track of me without ever being seen or heard. She really made an amazing ninja.

I laid myself out on my bed, holding my head up with my palm, and letting the other arm lay along my side. I playfully twisted a strand of hair in my fingers, and watched Fang through narrowed eyes as he walked into my room and shut the door.

"Come here." I beckoned, throwing myself up into seated position. Fang obliged and sat on the bed, across from me. I got onto my knees, and slowly crawled the few feet in between us.

Before going any further, I wrapped my arms around his chest, and laid my head on his shoulder. He leaned his forehead onto my hair, and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of me. I did the same, finding solace in the nook, the cave of his jaw and his shoulder.

I kissed the soft soil of his neck, planting seeds of love that could soon be harvested. I pecked at him, giving him more love than I ever had. I had never really had someone to love. So all of my long overdue, probably stale by now, passion was given to him in that instant.

I could imagine his eyes closed, his heart beating as I greedily named his skin for my own. I could feel his hands in my hair, having nowhere else to go, but still wanting a part of me. I could hear his rapid breathing as he and I fought to keep control of our bodies.

I pulled away as I felt his lips touch my ear, so I could moan. He brought my earlobe to his mouth a suckled it, his nose breathing a sweet melody of whisper into my ear. I let him now take his rightful place on my jaw as he kissed his way over it, down the front of my neck, and over to my other shoulder.

As he was blazing the trail, I slowly laid myself down, him following, his sweet lips only leaving me for half a second at a time.

I let my fingers trace his back in circles and figure eights, while his kept his weight supported over top of me.

He let his mouth disconnect from my skin for a moment in order to pull his shirt over his head. I helped him do this so I could have more of him sooner. I began to unbutton the front of my own shirt, but he stopped me, shaking his head.

"Not tonight." He stated. I looked into his eyes, trying to find his reason to stop what could've changed us forever, but found nothing in the icy cold depths of his obsidian eyes.

Fang didn't stop, though. He continued to bring his mouth to my skin, my face, and all I could do was lay there in total rapture.

But, without warning, Fang grabbed a hold of my hips with his strong legs, and flipped us over, so I was on top. I smirked down at him, and lifted my hand, placing it lightly on his chest.

I traced the fine planes of his torso, dragging them painfully slow across the warm skin of the boy-no, man-I loved.

Slowly, I made my way up his tummy, past his defined chest, and onto his heart. Placing my palm flat to it, I could feel the pulsating figure through his body. He smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

This night was a dream come true for me. I wasn't going to end it quickly. I resumed playing on his skin with my fingers, but also bent down to place my lips against his forehead. And as I pulled back and looked once again into his eyes, I could feel his love for me.

It consumed me hungrily, the fact that another human on this earth cared for me. Not only that, but loved me…that was something I had only felt faintly before. But now, the fire of realization struck like lightening, and I was overtaken with a new kind of passion. Something that soothed and calmed me, but at the same time, made me high with anticipation, with wonder, with absolute certainty that this was it.

Fang and I loved each other. Us. Not how we looked, but who we were. And nothing, not the strongest, most powerful piece of being could change that.

**Hope you guys liked it! TRIED TO GET IT OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!**

**Review, kids. I wanna know whatcha think. I did this as 1:20 in the morning. Be GRATEFUL! Just kidding…PM ME!**

**Also…I was thinking of changing my name from Fanged to song lyrics, maybe…?**

**And getting rid of the one chapter that was awkward and wrong on so many levels…how would you all feel about this. Tell me either in a PM or a review.**

**I might put up a poll on my account where you can vote for the song lyrics you want my name to be?**


	36. Apology

**Okay, SO SORRY guys, but I have to take another QUICK break.**

**Got an F in Civics, so I'm grounded until I get to my Dad's house. And I only go over to his house every two weeks.**

**Also, even when I raise my grade, both of my computers at the Mom's house have a virus. Those bitches.**

**DON'T HATE ME!**


	37. I'm back, guise!

**Hey guys!**

**I know - it's been FOREVER. And I hate that. I really do.**

**A lot of stuff has happened in the past five months. A LOT. But I'm proud to say that I'm still alive and kickin'!**

**I met some new people. New friends, new enemies, and even a new special person. And it was all good for a while. I asked her out and she said yes. But a few days ago, she left me for her ex. Not cool.**

**But anyways.**

**I'm back.**

**I'm writing a new chapter. Thank you everyone who stuck with me for that UNBEARBLE period of time. But don't worry. :) It's over. For good. :D**

**See you guys soon! WITH my newest chapter for Secrets Unkept! LOVE YOU~!**


	38. Still Got Legs

Hey, PM me, sweetheart. :) We can talk a helluva lot easier there. And if you don't have an account, or something, here's my email:

didyouknowweweregirls yahoo . com

Without the spaces, though. ;)


	39. Because I'm a mean person

**Because I'm mean, I decided that I was gonna give ya a quick sneek peak of what is to come!**

Things soon seemed normal to me. If you count sleeping on Nudge's floor on an air mattress and going on shopping trips every other day to refill my totally non-existent wardrobe "normal."

But honestly, I felt amazing. I was in heaven. I had my best friends in the world surrounding me. And I had an amazing surrogate mom, Anne, taking care of me. I even had a guy that most girls would legit KILL for.

Things could not be going better.

"Hey, Max, honey." Anne called from the doorway. I looked up, seeing her with her big, motherly grin, and her jeans, flowery blouse, and soft gray cardigan. She held out a small object to me. "Someone is calling for you. A woman. Her name is…Ms. Downey?"

I held my hand out for the phone, and meeting Anne's eyes, I communicated my thanks through a smile.

"Thank you, Anne." I said, before speaking into the phone. "Hello?"

"Max? Is that you?" Asked a silky-smooth voice that I could swear I knew. "Max. Remember me?"

Then it clicked. I was too shocked to do anything much. I just sat there with a shocked, scared expression on my face.

"Max. It's me. I want you back. I'm coming to get you back."

**Go ahead. I know it's pretty obvious. But guess who? ;) I'll be back with the FULL chapter, once I'm done. :D**


	40. SO SORRY KIDS

Alright, I know, I know before you all say ANYTHING, that I have NO EXCUSE to have been gone this long, and I sincerely, honestly can not apologize enough.

I lost my email address password believe it or not, and like always, I forgot about that problem until like...over a year later.

So I came back to find 838 freaking reviews on my story?

And like the over-emotional girl I am, I literally teared up.

So first of all, thank each and every one of you so flipping much. It means so much to me, and I obviously don't deserve all of the love and support everyone has given me, but to receive it anyway?

I can't explain enough to all of you how much each and every single one of you means to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And if the characters of MR were mine, they'd be thanking you, too. :)

Second of all, I have high, high hopes that this story will eventually continue. And I can't promise continual updates because my schedule is a bit busy. But I can promise you that this story and everything that is attached to it will be a huge part of my thoughts for a long time. And hopefully that will motivate me enough to keep cranking out more ideas.

But. Before I begin my writing again, I'm going to have to make time to read all of this crap, because, to be quite honest...I don't remember much of it anymore. And that really saddens me, because this story was literally my baby and I can't believe I kind of just abandoned it!

Also, I'm going to revise. Probably a lot. As I read each chapter, you can probably count on the editing of grammar and maybe some slight changes to the story-line.

So yeah, I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. But I hope, I can somehow make it up to you with at the very least a few more chapters!

Thank you all for bearing with me! You all mean the absolute world to me! Keep soaring!

-Fanged


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